I was born and raised in Tucson Arizona. My father was an avid outdoorsman and natralist. When I was very young he would bring home various arachnids, lizards and snakes for me to see and learn about. We would then take them back out to where they were found and release them. I became fascinated with reptiles, especially snakes. By the age of seven I already had quite a reptile book collection. By some strange quirk of fate, at age seven, a herpetologist moved right next door to me. He very unselfishly took me under his wing and for the next three years took me on field trips, taught me latin names and much about herpetology and especially conservation and protecting habitat. At around age nine my mentor gave me a copy of Kauffelds "snakes and snake hunting". This started a keen interest and love of rattlesnakes, which has carried on to this day. Nowdays I reside in Flagstaff Arizona, and although not employed as a biologist, I assist in field research, help collect DNA samples and generally just enjoy exploring outdoor Arizona with my wife and little doggie, herping and taking pictures with cascavel1 and a couple other friends. I have a special interest in rattlesnake social behavior, kinship, family groups and their guarding and teaching of offspring (yep, this goes WAY beyond what anyone generally expects from reptiles). I started using photography about four years ago to document my field observations and for use in identifying individual rattlesnakes in the field. Little did I know it would foster such an interest in rattlesnake and reptile photography. I strive to take something beyond the average "Field Guide photo", to hopefully capture natural behaviors and moments of a rattlesnakes life in a more artistic manner.