"I felt compelled to photograph things that dealt with social issues. I was also studying political and social theories in my classes." In witnessing the tumultuous '60s, Baer says, "I realized I could have an impact on people with my camera."

He took a job at The Cincinnati Post in 1966, then became a full-time free-lance photographer in 1971. His work has appeared in Life, Time, Newsweek, People, National Geographic World, Smithsonian, Business Week, Barron's, and Forbes.

Baer's images of the post-traumatized lives of Vietnam veterans won him the Nikon World Understanding Award, which resulted in exhibitions at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial dedication and the Nikon House Gallery in New York. Those photos are also featured in Vietnam: The Battle Comes Home (1984, Morgan and Morgan).

Baer can now add "inventor" to his list of credits. He has developed a process called PhotoMirageTM, a blending of photography and stained glass that has been used in corporate identity pieces, art museum gifts, and even a White House Christmas tree ornament. Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum in Dayton, Ohio, commissioned Baer to produce a larger-than-life angel using this process.

"'The Watchmaker' was a fine arts class assignment that evolved into one of my signature pieces," Baer says. "I was assigned to photograph 'men at work.' I discovered this wonderful watchmaker, F.E. Hunziker, capable of creating a watch from scratch in his Fourth and Broadway shop. The glow from the lamp illuminating the scene, along with his glasses looking down while his eyes made contact with me-it will always be a special piece to me."