reported by Dana Horton, CyberScreenwriter.com

A magazine left behind on a train triggered the career of one of the most talented American photographers.

A portfolio of pictures in the magazine prompted Gordon Parks to buy his first camera. His career since has included author, poet, pianist, composer and film director.

For 20 years he was a photojournalist for "Life" magazine, producing 300 articles. He directed a number of movies, including "Shaft," for which he wrote the script and the musical score. Among numerous other honors, he is a member of the International Photography Hall of Fame.

There are 158,000 professional photographers in the U.S., about eight percent of them African-American.