Upon his return to the United States, he began to study commercial photography at San Francisco City College. Even before his studies were over he was offered freelance commercial work in news, public relations and portraiture. Although his successes quickly mounted, so did a sense of something lacking.

In 1973 Barloga turned toward quieter, more expressive, non-commercial work. His new approach, concerned mostly with nature’s moods, colors, designs, and forms, formed a body of work which is now collected on five continents and throughout the United States, and has appeared nationally in books, magazines and calendars.

In 1979 Barloga opened the Dennis Barloga Gallery in San Francisco, California, which he ran until 1986. In that year Barloga took his first trip to Europe, and a new photographic interest was awakened by the architectural beauty he found there. Doors, windows, house fronts, storefronts, and café scenes all became new subject matter. “I was inspired to change my focus. I found that Europe’s villages, with their charming, everyday details, spoke to me. I always wonder what it would be like to live on the other side of a particular door or window.” During the past several years, he has continued to visit Europe to capture the quaintness of the villages on film, adding to his portfolio of images.