Everyone loves a pretty picture. I try and move beyond the ho-hum mundane photo that everyone has taken at the same point since the camera has been invented. How many times do you think the same spot of the Grand Canyon has been photographed from the South Rim at some given point?

I try and capture the moment of reality in my photography--not just a flower, not just a lighthouse, not just the ocean, but the point in time, the feeling, the mood, the essence of the experience.

I am an observer. I also am a doer. I learn by observation, and by taking long walks by myself. I love to explore the textures, emotions, moods, colors, culture, and beauty the world has to offer. I am continually evolving as a photographer, and as a person. I learn from others, and I love to share. My photography is my visual journal.

As a photographer, I try not to limit myself to one subject. Life is full of hues, movement, tones, rhythms, and flow.

You may see some humor in some of my photography. I sometimes plan a composition; sometimes I find humor when I am out walking.

Color photography is great for capturing the hues of life. I like to capture the shadows and light with black and white photography, like an old film noir classic.

Birds are a large part of my sprituality--when I am around birds, my spirit soars. Nothing is more ethereal or delightful than hearing a wood thrush singing its flutelike call in the forest amphitheater.

Besides photography, I also am into videography. I have done several videos of north american birds, in my backyard and in the wild. I like converting the cassettes to DVDs. What I like about videography is its ability to capture animal behavior. While a sequence of photos can provide some insight into behavior, a video capture can provide great insight into why a bird/animal/mammal is behaving the way it is.

I continue to educate myself behind the lens; by seeing and observing, I learn more about what I am photographing.

I shoot digital and non-digital. Currently, I am using a Fuji Finepix s700, a great advanced point and shoot that is my first digital camera.

My film camera is a Minolta Maxxum 5. Since Sony bought out Minolta, I may eventually stick with the SONY lineup and go with the Digital SLR ALPHA lineup, since they take Minolta lenses from the Maxxum series. I do have a set of macro lenses for close up work that screw on to the front of the wide angle lens.