I took up photography as a teen in high school as I wanted to document my favorite subject, that of trains passing through my hometown of Painesville, Ohio. With the knowledge gained through those experiences and personal interactions with fellow rail and photography enthusiasts, I learned a ton of valuable photography skills and gradually improved on quality. In 1969, the military draft was still in effect and, while I felt compelled to do my part, I preferred to not join the Army, so I enlisted in the Air Force where part of the process involved listing potential skills. It wasn't until graduating from Basic Training that I learned I would be assigned as a "Direct Duty" assignment, meaning I would bypass the Air Force technical training and go directly to my first assignment as a "Still Photographer". I was sent to England AFB, LA and began my on-the-job training as a photographer. I couldn't have been more happy or proud to begin my military career this way, doing something I truly enjoyed. Subsequent assignments sent me to Davis-Monthan AFB; Arizona, Whiteman AFB, Missouri; Langley AFB, Virgina; Kunsan Air Base, S. Korea; Peterson AFB, Colorado; Zweibruken Air Base, Germany and Offutt AFB, Nebraska, from which I retired in 1991.

My USAF photography career lasted 22 years, after which I worked in a few other odd jobs in the Omaha area and then applied for a photography job as a civilian for the US Army and spent 10 years there, again loving every minute. Following the rewarding time with the Army, and getting to meet many highly respected individuals, in the military, government and even entertainment fields, I felt the urge to move on once again, this time to a Department of Defense agency in Washington, DC. I retired from that position in 2010 and shortly thereafter, moved away from the expensive and congested atmosphere of the Washington, DC and Northern Virginia area, moving to Central Texas, where my wife and I have happily lived ever since, enjoying watching our grandchildren grow.

At every place I have lived and worked, I spent a considerable amount of free time photographing my favorite subjects at every opportunity. Now that I am "truly" retired, my wife and I travel as often as possible while my love of photography has only grown nearly every day.