I feel emotions very deeply. I am not afraid to express my feelings. I am very confident in who I am and what I am capable of accomplishing. I always accomplish my goals even though the end result does not always resemble what I had in mind when I started. I love to surprise the one I am dating with small things like flowers, fun surprises, gifts, etc. I love to make jokes and make people laugh, but I do not like to make jokes at someone else's expense; that kind of joking borderlines on cruelty. I consider myself a good conversationalist. By that I mean I am good at listening without trying to give unsolicited advice. I am a gentleman at heart. I believe ladies always come first. I believe in opening doors for women and seating them in a restaurant. I believe that, as far as relationships go, I'm always happiest when I put others first. Now, do not take this to mean that I am a pushover or a man who does not stand up for himself. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I believe that when two people put the other first, the relationship has a much better chance of success than when each person is looking out for themselves and their own happiness first.

So, the reason I am sharing all this with you is because I believe fundamental characteristics should be given much more weight than mere superficial commonalities. Ultimately, I am looking for someone who I can love deeply and share my life with openly and without reservation. I do not know when that will happen, but I do know that someday I will meet that person. I am a very patient man. I certainly will not settle for less than for what I am willing to give in return. I am looking for a best friend and someone who likes me as much as I do, but to find a best friend, I have to be one.

By profession I am a photographer. I operated my own photography business for 25 years. I am honest and straight forward. I do not play head games. I really enjoy making other people laugh. I also know when to take situations seriously. I think personal appearance is very important. My favorite beverage is good coffee. My favorite food is ice cream. My favorite color is purple; however, I usually wear black outfits. I love the outdoors and I am also very comfortable at a formal affair (after all, I am a wedding photographer!) I usually dress well. I believe in treating others with dignity and respect. I have three children ages 18, 16 and 7; (girl-boy-girl). I love to cook; however, I do not cook for myself very often. I don't smoke, drink, use drugs of any kind and I don't swear (except on rare occasions). I do not have any issues being around people who drink, unless it more than a reasonable amount.

One last thing ladies; I am not into one-night stands or friends with benefits so please don't go there. I need to be friends first then see how things progress. Good kissing is not an option, it is a requirement.

P.S. If we end up meeting and you decide for whatever reason that you are not interested and it appears that I am interested, please have the decency just let me know. I won’t be offended. It is really offensive and I believe it shows poor character to ignore phone messages or emails because a person wants to avoid saying they are not interested. Think about how it feels if you are interested in someone and they do not pay you the common courtesy to tell you directly how they feel or do not feel!

If you have gotten this far, congratulations, I know it’s a long profile.

Oh, by the way, my name is Richard