I’m a small town-born travel and nature photographer with a bit of a storied trail bringing me here.
When I was a small boy in the sixties I was given a Kodak Instamatic camera. That old faithful that used a drop-in film cartridge and flash cubes. Simplistic, for sure. By the time I was in high school I had acquired a Minolta 35mm SLR and was beyond addicted. By the time I was out of high school, my interest had zeroed in on black and white photography shooting Kodak's Plus-X and Tri-X films.
In those days, I was regularly shooting with a similarly-addicted friend who happened to be a student member of the photography club at Purdue University. I spent countless hours with him in the club's darkroom as we both learned the art of developing our own film. Of course, that eventually led to my own crude darkroom setup.
Then an Information Technology career kicked off with an intensity that brought an end to the photography before I even realized it. Only 20 years later when I went to work for a global stock photo and video licensing and services company did it all come gushing back like a dam had broken open. I retired from that industry with a photography addiction back in full focus. Pun intended.
For the last seven years, my wife and I have traveled the United States full-time in our 42 foot fifth wheel RV - coast to coast , top to bottom. One thing I've noticed is that travel naturally exposes the diversity in lifestyle, art, culture, landscape, architecture, and nature. 150 years ago, newspaper editor Samuel Bowles wrote "There is no such knowledge of the nation as comes of traveling in it, of seeing eye to eye its vast extent, its various and teeming wealth, and, above all, its purpose-full people". I would have to agree.
Today I create digital images. Though they reflect my broad interest in travel and nature, I strongly favor the beauty of nature's breathtaking landscapes, colorful florals, and abundant wildlife. Back in the digital darkroom, I have two passions. First, that interest in black and white photography lives on, driving me to render black and white (or monochrome) images from many of my original photos. And second, I use a variety of tools to render certain original photos with various painterly and abstract affects, and to experiment with digital matting styles, or what I like to call ready-to-frame images.
All images herein are my own photos or are digital abstractions of my own photos.
I hope you enjoy viewing my galleries. And if a particular image touches you, drop me a note and let me know how!
Thank you!