I am a photographer spending time between Denver, Colorado and Taos, New Mexico, specializing in fine art images of wildlife, culture, travel, natural landscapes and urbanscapes.
For me, photography is not only a creative outlet, but also a way to discover and learn new things about my surroundings. It challenges me to see life in a different perspective, encourages me to travel outside my comfort zone to new situations and destinations, and inspires me to keep an open mind.
Vision
I believe that a delicate balance exists between our modern way of life and our natural environment, and I seek to explore this complex relationship through my artwork. Much of the wildlife and landscapes featured in my work have been preserved and protected through environmental policies, wilderness and historical designations, or local conservation efforts.
I try to keep this front of mind as I travel and while I am practicing my craft, and I strive to use my photography business to help support these important conservation efforts. Additionally, I hope my images can help teach and inspire our younger generation to be good stewards of our environment, to practice tolerance towards our brothers and sisters around the world, and to be motivated to get out and explore their surroundings.
About the Artist
My interest and involvement in photography has always been shaped by a passion for nature and the great outdoors, along with an inquisitive, adventurous spirit, both of which surfaced early in my life. As a kid in Savannah, Georgia, my friends and I would spend our days exploring the stretch of woods in our neighborhood, dreaming of what it must be like to live with the wild animals in a hollowed-out tree, as Sam Gribley did in ‘My Side of the Mountain’. We would build swings and forts in the trees. I remember feeling so connected to nature playing in those woods. Unfortunately, we also witnessed its destruction as a Lowe’s, then a Home Depot, came in and cleared the land to construct their cavernous, big-box stores – directly next to each other – as development moved further into the Southside during the late ’80s and early ’90s.
I spent much of my younger years outside of the house. Perhaps as my surname might suggest, I was drawn to the outdoors because my ancestors were closely connected to the forest in some way. Either way, I found pleasure and peace in the natural environment.
My years at college opened my mind to a world of opportunities, and gave me a new perspective on life. In particular, I found an anthropology class at the University of Georgia quite interesting and became fascinated with the human phenomenon and its variety of rich cultures around the world.
I started to become genuinely interested in photography as an art form after moving to New Mexico for a long-term work assignment. The expansive landscapes of the southwest, combined with its rich history and culture, reinvigorated the explorative spirit of my early years. The Land of Enchantment was a stark contrast from the Lowland Coastal Plain; it provoked curiosity and inspired me to get out and wander through the wilderness, which I did as much as possible the years I spent there. I was intrigued with the geological wonders that existed around the edges of the Colorado Plateau and wanted to share the beautiful scenery with my friends and family back home. So I started bringing a camera along on my excursions.
At that time I was shooting with a 4-megapixel point-and-shoot camera, but I soon started to realize that to get the images I really wanted, I would need to upgrade. A professional photographer and friend named Terry Behal encouraged me to purchase my first digital SLR and some quality lenses, and also shared a few tips to get me going. I’m forever grateful for his recommendations and guidance; little did I know how much I would come to cherish photography.
Eventually, I began to develop my own style of photography, guided by my interests in nature, an eagerness to travel to new places, as well as a desire to share my experiences and new found perspectives with the world.
I continue to travel frequently, and I experiment with my art regularly. While I enjoy the challenge of creating a thoughtful and aesthetically pleasing composition, I also view my photography as having a purpose beyond art. I view it as a lifelong learning pursuit, both in terms of the technical aspects of capturing an image, as well as the academic aspect of learning more about the scenes and subjects within the photographs.
