About Me
Shortly after graduating from Appalachian State University with a BS degree in Broadcast Technology, I became a freelance video photographer, shooting for national and international networks, as well as many Fortune 500 companies. My work in this field has been nominated for and won regional and national awards. This television career has given me the opportunity to work with and meet a wide variety of people; from world leaders and actors or musicians to normal people that may have a story to tell. Traveling for television has taken me to many places and events that many people may have only seen from their television screens or internet browsers. But honestly, I still enjoy looking through my still camera lens at a rutting elk or golden sunset more than any of those things.This profession may have given me a leg up concerning image composition, but nature photography is a completely different endeavor. There was still much to learn. This began by reading photography books and magazines to soak up every bit of information available. Now, this was before the internet, so one could not just type a word or phrase and hit search. There were no social media platforms that showed videos and tutorials. By reading everything available and then through trial and error, I started to understand more about what photography was about or what it could be for me.
Learning about photography and trying to absorb every bit of knowledge from those that came before me, led me to other photographers that were capturing moments that seemed to inspire me. I did not want to be like them or copy their style, it was more about taking the knowledge they had to offer and making it my own. The main thing they had to offer as experienced landscape photographers was composition within each image. One photographer stated that he likes to give the viewer somewhere to be within the image. That made so much sense. By giving the viewer a place to be or stand within a landscape image, we are also giving the viewer a way to have a personal connection with the moment that was captured. With my landscape photography I always try to live up to that idea.
The years of trial and error while constantly putting my work out there enabled me to be fortunate enough to have my photography appear in many different magazine publications around North America. I have written for several different publications, for two years even writing my own monthly column for one of them. I published my first book in 2022, “Capturing Moments,” which sold out its first run. My work has been displayed in art galleries and other venues that promote artists, while also selling my images locally and online.
Paintings
Occasionally my landscape images have been compared to paintings. I was never sure how to take this until someone recently described why he thought my work reminded him of paintings. I will paraphrase what he said. He explained that painters will take a blank canvas and paint a scene that is perfect in their eyes. He told me that my photography finds perfection in a natural world that may seem chaotic to us at times, but I find perfection within that chaos.Drawing With Light
The word “photography” literally means “drawing with light”. It comes from the Greek words phos or phōtós meaning “light” and graphê meaning “drawing or writing”. With that in mind, as a photographer I feel that light is usually the most important tool when trying to capture those special moments. Whether I’m capturing interesting moments with animals or beautiful landscapes, my intentions are to capture each scene in the best possible light. Therefore, hopefully I’ve captured a moment in time that others feel is as special as it was to me when I was looking through my camera’s viewfinder.
My Final Thoughts
When it comes to Nature Photography, the Natural World is the real artist. I am just one of the tools used to capture its best moments for others to see. Within the chaos of this beautiful world that we live in, I will continue searching for the best moments and the best way to capture whatever the Natural World offers me.
