Born and raised in central Illinois with the Illinois River Valley and Starved Rock State Park nearly in my backyard. Although the Midwest is relatively flat with open fields of corn and beans swaying in the breeze, Starved Rock proved to be a hidden gem of hilly terrain and waterfalls that greatly influenced my desire for adventure and enjoyment of nature. A few years after settling into a corporate career in central Illinois (still a stone’s throw away from Starved Rock), I visited Portland, Oregon on business. While there, I took advantage of the lack of sales tax on purchases and bought my first camera, a Canon Rebel XT. My attempts to capture the majestic Multnomah Falls and other grand features of the beautiful state with my new camera were utter failures! Over the next three years my photography skills improved very slowly, as family and career took priority, but the desire remained. Luckily, the local junior college offered an Introduction to Photography course. After talking with a long-time friend, we signed up for the class; I started to understand photography enough to get out of automatic mode and begin playing with aperture and shutter priority. I quickly upgraded to a new camera and lenses so I could leverage my newfound knowledge to capture better family pictures including the sports in which they participated. My desire to take on the challenge of capturing landscapes, waterfalls, and wildlife also grew. Over the past twenty years, I have been blessed to have a career and family that have been supportive of my hobby. I have been able to travel to amazing locations such as India, Jamaica, Mexico, Canada, and parks across the US. As I approach the next chapter of my life, I eagerly look forward to many new adventures with my wife, family and close friends while capturing life along the way.
