How I got started

First, I must thank you for taking your time to view and explore my photography. My photographic journey began long before I even knew I would have one. At age 13, my family and I had moved across the country from Philadelphia to Phoenix, Arizona. Like most people who do not live in the desert, I assumed it was pretty much a deserted landscape, much of what the movies make it out to be. Flat sandy cactus filled landscapes as far as the eye can see. It became quickly apparent that this was not true. It wasn't much later I would ride my bike out in the desert and enjoy the fresh air. In my junior year of high school, I took a photography class that had still used film. I learned how to develop my own photographs and the very basics of how to make a photograph. A few years later, I had purchased my own digital camera. I would take photos of almost anything, but more and more I found myself drawn to photographing nature and the landscapes surrounding me. I began searching the web and "reading" photography books and finding photographers and artists who inspire me. Many of them which are still my biggest inspirations to this date. The desire to travel and be outside with the camera became stronger and stronger. Eventually, I began going on a few short trips with friends to explore new places and it just started to become a regularity for me to be outside looking for something to photograph. It really wasn't until I took my first solo trip to photograph the Eastern Sierra area of California in 2012 when  I realized that this was what I wanted to do in life. The freedom to explore where and when I wanted, to be in place for the perfect moment, and to see first hand the successes and failures of being a photographer. I consider this the first chapter in my ongoing photographic journey. I then began to get quite serious in my photographic endeavors. I started to set up social media pages to share my work  and started to seek out how my images compare to the many others out there. I have been given many valuable critiques over the years on my work by some of the biggest names in landscape photography today, some which probably would make others decide to choose a new path. After many years of consideration and careful thinking, I left my retail job at the end of 2017 to pursue this passion full time and put my complete focus on the art I want to create and share. My camera has taken me to some of the most beautiful landscapes in the western United States, and I expect it will take me to every corner of the world to further my exploration. Having lived in the desert southwest for the better part of my life now however, I will always have a soft spot for all things desert related and will have the deepest connection to the landscapes closest to home. I am eager and excited to see where this journey in life will take me, all I know is that I am most definitely enjoying the ride.

Artist Statement

With the rise of digital photography I think it is important to note that all of the images you see on my website have been "processed" or "edited"  to showcase better how the scene looked to me as an artist. I prefer not to use the term "photoshopped" as it usually comes with a negative notion. You can be assured that when viewing my photographs that all aspects of the image have occurred during the time of pressing the shutter of the camera. I use adobe photoshop to process these images and bring them more to life as no camera can quite capture what our naked eyes can see. These are real moments in time that I bring my artistic vision to. Much of this processing is simple RAW adjustments making sure that things such as color, contrast, clarity, highlight and shadow recovery are to my preferences. Some images may be blended together to compensate for bright highlights or deep shadows as to avoid extremely bright areas and extremely dark areas just like in a real darkroom. A handful of images have also been blended together combining multiple focal points to achieve maximum depth of field and focus for ultimate detail. All wildlife images posted on my website are of truly wild animals photographed in our National Parks and public lands. No animal is ever baited or harassed to get the shot. As a former wildlife photographer I have a deep respect and love for the wild inhabitants of this earth I am fortunate to see and photograph. In regards to the landscapes I photograph, I am always sure to practice leave no trace principals and make sure the landscape is left as I had found it or better (removing unwanted trash, etc). It is imperative that these lands remain free and wild for generation after generation to enjoy and explore. 

A few of my publications/awards:

Publications include: Arizona Highways Magazine, Digital Photo Mag, Images Arizona, The Arizona Republic 

-Honorable mention (Parade of Autumn) 2013 Arizona Highways Magazine photo contest (published).

-Highly commended (Glow of the Gods, Light Through the Valley II) 2014 USA Landscape  Photographer of the Year photo contest.

-Honorable mention TWAN International Earth and Sky photo contest.

-Fan Favorite (Light Catchers)2014 Arizona Highways Magazine photo contest (published).

-Grand prize winner (Mountain Minions) 2015 Arizona Highways Magazine photo contest (published).

-Honorable mention (Days End) 2015 Arizona Highways Magazine photo contest (published). 

-Honorable mention (Light of the New Year) 2016 Arizona Highways Magazine photo contest.

-Highly Commended (The River Speaks) 2016 USA Landscape Photographer of the Year photo contest.

-3rd Place (Consumer) Epson Pano Awards, Digital Art Category 2017. 

-The Big Interview eight page feature in Digital Photo Mag UK October 2015 issue.

-Photographer of the Month for November 2015 on apertureacademy.com. You can read the full interview here Aperture Academy Interview.