Biography

I was born in southern California, raised in Lake Tahoe, flew fighter jets for the Air Force for ten years, and then decided to be a “liveaboard” and see the world by sailboat.  That’s my life in one sentence, and now I’d rather share the points that have defined me up to this period in my life.

Adventurer. “Vacations” for me involve stuffing my 70L backpack and heading out into the River of No Return Wilderness, by myself, for days at a time.  I don’t want to do a guided tour of downtown Milwaukee with 30 other camera-toting tourists.  Drop me in a remote location with some food, water, and my camera, and I’m a happy person.  Unfortunately, being tied to military aviation has prevented me from doing all of the trips and seeing all of the places that have been on my list for years.  A spontaneous, 100-mile solo backpacking trip through the Scottish Highlands gave me time to reflect and figure out that these are the experiences I want to have more of, without the thoughts of impending work schedules looming over me the entire journey.

Sailor. I grew up on the water.  I was always around boats.  My entire childhood revolved around the ocean, the mysteries & stories of the sea, and dreams of traveling upon it once I entered adult life.  During my time in the Air Force, I was only able to do limited sailing in assignments I lived near the water.  Spending my last assignment in North Carolina resuscitated those childhood dreams and led me to buy a boat of my own, which I now call home.  It wasn’t as spontaneous as people think; I’ve always had a fascination and respect for nature and the sea and I wanted to be a part of it.  Besides, what better way to economically travel and see the world than via sailboat?

Photographer. I come from a family of artists and have been interested in art from a young age.  It started as sketching (mostly sailboats when I was still in grade school) and then transitioned to photography when I picked up my mom’s Pentax 35mm in high school.  A single class there was my only formal education in photography, and since then, all of my learning has been through trial-and-error and picking the brains of other photographers.  I have started taking photography more seriously in the last few years, for two reasons: I want to share how I see our vanishing world; and I want to be able to make a living doing so.  In my short 30-ish years, I’ve already noticed some of my favorite places disappearing to human nature or natural forces.  Places with history and natural significance.  I wouldn’t go as far as saying that I want to be an activist; I just want to capture these places visually and show the rest of the world.  Maybe that will spur some activism by others.

Veteran. Serving as an officer in the Air Force has been the proudest ten years of my life.  Now it’s time to move on.  I will take what I’ve learned during my service – leadership, responsibility, humility, integrity, work ethic, risk management, fitness, decision-making, and critical thinking – and apply it to wherever my journey takes me.  Two deployments to Afghanistan have also made me really appreciate life more, and I now look at the world differently – which plays into my desire to see more of it.

Sample Tear Sheets:

 

Past Exhibits:
 2011 Wayne Arts Council National Juried Arts Exhibition Honorable Mention
Wayne Arts Council A Country, A People Afghanistan Photography Exhibit