My Journey
I have always lived the life of an artist, but photography is my most powerful medium for expression.
I am passionate about capturing the moment, looking at life from different perspectives, wandering off the beaten path and finding unique solutions to problems. I believe a documented life is a kind of life worth living…I want to leave a legacy someday with my images.
My love of photography was discovered later in life. I took no photo classes in high school and did not really start to develop my skills until after college. But I think the inspiration came from my Grandfather, who had been developing film since the 1940s in a darkroom in his basement, and from my Father, who worked for Kodak in the 1970s and loved nature and wildlife photography. My Grandpa’s Speedgraphic camera is the one I am holding in the picture and you can see it featured in the graphics on my website.
I first picked up a DSLR camera in 2010, with lofty aspirations to be a wildlife or landscape photographer. While it became a hobby and an obsession of mine over the next decade (I am known for chasing sunsets in my car and trudging miles in the mud for one shot of a butterfly), I realized portraits, events and journalism would be the path to a more profitable career. My foundation in traditional film cameras and techniques has lent a deep understanding of how photography works, and I have taken this knowledge into the digital realm. Since then I have taken around 10,000 photos a year (I know this because the file counter on my memory card hits IMG_9999 and rolls over every summer). I am very active on social media, and followers love to see my endless adventures play out through my visual diary.
Due to either great timing or luck, I have a skill for capturing great moments in action scenes. In portrait shoots, I am able to make the subject feel at ease and capture their true self with minimal posing; many of my best shots are candid. I shoot with Canon EOS cameras and use Canon and Sigma lenses. My goal is to let others live vicariously through my images and feel as if they were there.
The great Alan Watts once said “Find a job where you can get paid for playing” and I believe wholeheartedly in his philosophy. If you’re not enjoying your career, it’s not where you are meant to stay.