I've spent most of my life seeing birds as mere dark specks flitting across my field of vision, and never quite gave them a second thought. Sometimes they had shape or form, and some even exhibited a prominent color. After a long hiatus from photography, the advent of digital cameras revived my passion for photography, and culminated in bird photography, perfectly satisfying my passions for biology, technology, art and the environment. We've all heard the expression 'bird brain' as a derogatory remark. But birds, it turns out, are significantly smarter than we humans have assumed for millennia. Recent research has shown they are sentient beings, sharing emotions like love and anger, joy, sadness, pain and more – some even create and use tools and many can solve puzzles. It turns out that a bird's brain structure is intellectually more dense than ours, so for a given amount of smarts, its smaller and lighter. Humans have decimated their numbers, taken away their homes, and their food sources. By photographing them and trying to capture some of their behaviors, I endeavor to reveal their extraordinary complexity, rich colors, captivating behaviors and sheer beauty, while challenging myself with what is arguably the most difficult genre of photography. I also hope to bring light to their plight and the greater plight of the entire world. It’s time we as a species woke up; collectively, they are not the only canaries in the coal mine we call Planet Earth.

Most birders have a 'spark bird'. Mine was an Anna's Hummingbird I shot in my backyard in 2007. I was amazed that I was able do that, and i began to try to shoot birds, whenever the bird was close and the camera was in hand. In May 2016, I noticed that I had a number of bird photos in my photo library, so I worked on identifying them, and created a list. At that point, I think I had about 60 species, which surprised the heck out of me, they were beautiful, and I wondered how much it would take to get to 100. And that was it; I was off and running.

Most birders have a list of all the birds they've seen (or heard the calls of) along their journeys. As of this writing (2019), my count is up to 383. I don't have sub-lists, by country, county or year, and my time left on this side of the dirt suggests I won't ever compete with the long time birders. I've only been doing this more or less seriously for about 5 years, I keep getting better and I'm happy with that. So in part, this website is the showcase for my quest to see and photograph as many species as I can. Some people suggest showing only their very best shots. The opposite end of the spectrum would attempt to show every species I've shot. I've chosen the compromise approach. Within this site, I have some great shots that I consider 'art' shots (my best), some 'interesting/good' shots that are pretty nice (they might show behavior, for example), and lots of 'reference' shots that are just examples of what birds I've seen. I did not share all the really crummy shots that I call 'ID shots'. Of course, its not up to me necessarily to decide which rise to the 'art' world; I am not an artist. So if you could 'like' the ones you think are best, collectively, it tells me which ones resonate the most. Maybe someday I'll create a proper website for my 'best'.

I am a self-taught amateur and avid photographer with degrees in biochemistry and electronics engineering and I spent most of my career working on electrical power subsystems for rockets and satellites, until the company I worked for saw fit during a major layoff, to give me my 25 year plaque and my pink slip on the same day. I've also done fine woodworking, and have a general contractor’s license, but I am retired. Today, I travel worldwide and locally, mostly shooting birds (with a camera). I love all things Nature, and you'll see some landscapes and other critters, large and small, which I hope you'll enjoy. I used to have a presence and a small following under my name on Instagram, but I quit as a political protest against the Zuck. If he grows up, and acts responsibly, or if the govt properly regulates that industry, I may return.

Thanks for looking. Do good things. Safe travels.

By the way, if there are any photos that you like and would like a copy of, please contact me. All photos are copyright protected, but may be used with my permission. If you want a printed copy, also, please contact me. I would simply prefer having the opportunity to give the image a final (better) edit, have some control over the printing process, and I would only charge the tiniest amount above what it costs me, and in exchange, i am willing to sign and ship it directly to your home.

Finally, for those of you wondering, and since Flickr doesn't show it, I presently shoot with the Sony a1. My lens kit presently includes the 600mm, f/4 prime, 200-600mm zoom, 100-400mm zoom, 90mm macro, Sony 24-105mm, f/4, Sony 20mm, f/1.8, and Sony 14mm, f/1.8 lenses, plus the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. Previously I shot on a Sony a9ii and a7Riv, and before that, I was a Canon shooter. I switched to Canon from Nikon when Canon came out with the 5D, and I later upgraded to the 5Dii, 5Diii, 1DXii, and 5Div, although the birds shown here more or less begin while I was a Canon shooter.

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