ABOUT
After a long career in editing, design and publication management, I finally retired. So, now I have time to follow my passion as an aspiring landscape and nature photographer. Photography lets me relax and enjoy being outdoors.
I am not a professional photographer. I don't have professional-level experience and skills. I have so much to learn. Yet, describing myself as an amateur or hobbyist photographer just doesn't seem to assign the importance that photography holds for me. So, "aspiring" seems to best describe my trajectory of learning and experiencing.
Beauty is all around us — and to truly see it, we need to open our hearts as well as our eyes.
Ansel Adams said, "A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed."
Photographer Linda Hogan expresses how I, too, feel when taking photos, “There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story.”
For as long as I can remember, I've loved being outdoors and feeling grateful for the beauty of nature. When I go hiking or walking, I go without expectations of taking the perfect photo — instead, I want to savor the joy of being outside, moment at a time. When a scene stops me in my tracks, I feel compelled to photograph it. At that point, it's all about the emotional connection between the scene and me. If I can capture that feeling with a good photo, then I have succeeded. But, photo or not, it's a success by observing and feeling the moment that nature offers.
There are so many outstanding contemporary professional photographers I admire and try to learn from. These are just a few — Mads Peter Iversen, Marc Adamus, Adam Gibbs, Alister Benn, David Johnston, Nick Page, Henry Turner, Ben Horne, Camille Seaman, Matt Payne, Brenda Petrella and Colleen Miniuk.
Of course, in my opinion no one does moody magnificence quite like Enrico Fassati.
My absolute favorite photographer is Thomas Heaton. I think Thomas would be the ideal companion to accompany Dr. Who on those wild and crazy adventures!
Check out each of these artists and be awed and inspired.
Thank you for taking time to look at some of my work. If any of it moves you, please let me know by using the Contact Me form below.
Photo by Max Vale
My credo
"To laugh often and love much;
to win the respect of intelligent persons
and the affection of children;
to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure
the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to give of one’s self;
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy
child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung
with exultation;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you
have lived — this is to have succeeded."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson