Solo backpacking Great Sand Dunes National Park
King Salmon fishing Sitka Alaska
Leading a workshop at Acadia National Park
The pursuit of my Bachelor's degree in liberal arts at Penn State University ignited my passion for photography. My experiences there included truly inspirational classes from some amazing art and photography instructors.
A lifelong interest in the outdoors and a commitment to environmentalism led me to many fantastic opportunities. A few highlights include becoming a certified ski instructor, an instructor examiner, and a member of the board of directors for the Professional Ski Instructors of America; a decade as a licensed operator for the Pennsylvania Game Commission live trapping and trans-locating wildlife; and a remarkable experience working with the biologists at John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo Florida doing reef restoration and invasive species mitigation.
After those amazing years I took over my family's farm and transitioned it to be a certified organic operation. Although the farming operation is now greatly downsized, the farm provides an ideal base for all my photography. The farmhouse has high ceilings and large rooms for my studio lighting equipment. Picture windows on all sides let in beautiful natural light. Best of all, the farm’s one hundred plus acres of land include ponds, fields, hardwood forest, cultivated rows, and abundant wildlife. This diverse environment offers plenty of outdoor nature photography opportunities as well as many unique backgrounds for portraits and casual shots for clients.
Beyond creating photographs, I have been a presenter at Can-Am Photo Expos, led photography workshops, received training from the Canadian Association for Photographic Art as a photo competition judge, and served as President of the Photographic Arts Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania.
