I retired in 2010 and had many hobbies I was planning to enjoy, but I started to get hooked on photography that same year. I bought my first camera and started to dabble in different kinds of photography. I quickly got hooked on macro photography since I’d always been interested in insects as an avid organic gardener. Since that time, I’ve gotten into wildlife, landscapes and just about any type of nature photography.

After a few years, I entered some local contests and won some awards, so I decided to enter some state and national contests. Since that time, I’ve had photos published by National Wildlife, Audubon, Scenic Virginia, Virginia Wildlife, The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Virginia State Parks and the Canaan Valley Wildlife Refuge.

I had a photo on the back cover of National Wildlife magazine twice. One of my macro photos was selected as one of fifty National Wildlife contest photos displayed in a three month “Nature’s Witness” Photography Exhibition in the American Association for the Advancement of Science building in Washington DC. I won first place in the National Wildlife “Gardening for Wildlife” contest. I also won an honorable mention for a bird photo in another National Wildlife contest. One of my bird photos was selected by Audubon as one of the top 100 bird photos of the year.

I’ve also had photos published in a book named “Canoes: A Natural History in North America”, published by the University of Minnesota. Two photos were also published in a book called “Transforming the James River in Richmond”, by Ralph Hambrick. The James River book was about how locals in Richmond, Virginia worked with the EPA and local businesses to restore the James River.

I sell a few photos on request each year, but my primary focus in recent years has been to use my photos to support wildlife and environmental protection groups. It’s great to have a hobby that can support organizations that protect the wildlife I enjoy photographing.