Background: While the black and white prints I developed in the high school darkroom are long lost, I still have the Canon A1 I bought new at the time and used for the photography classes. Even after becoming a “deliberate shooter”, so many photographs of my earlier adventures and living aboard fall into the landmark or selfie snapshot category. Sentimental to be sure, but not fit for print.
Fast forward several decades. After gentle encouragement from a dear friend (and very accomplished photographer), I finally took the step into contemporary digital photography in order to get closer to birds and wildlife. Since then, photography for me has evolved into something I do to complement an interest or activity. Photography enriches experiences for me.
Artist Statement: My latest efforts focus on high-contrast imagery from the world's tallest buildings. This subproject is associated with perpetual travel photography, emphasizing discovery as a visitor with little to no familiarity with a particular destination. Wildlife remains a deep interest and constant subject, often serving as the primary purpose of my travels. I am also continuing a second season as a club photographer for the Maryland Polo Club near my home in Harford County, MD. In this prolonged practice, I attempt to honor the ponies' physical presence, translating split-second movements into sculpture-like representations of their elegance, strength and spirit.
My artistic process relies heavily on using professional equipment to fully exploit the monochrome palette and executing precise focal framing to energize the emotional gravity of each frame. By isolating subjects with a shallow depth of field, I'm trying to draw the viewer into an intimate, face-to-face encounter with a lion's raw gaze, a zebra's stark contrast, the explosive motion of a polo match, or the complexity of human facial expression.
Ultimately, my photography is an archival tribute to the majesty of living things, the beauty of nature, the curious complexity of people, and structure as an expression of humanity. Curated images are intended to challenge viewers to pause. In an age where our attention faces constant competition, I seek to temporarily suspend space and time so that a moment can be fully appreciated without distraction, instead of being lost in the infinite blur of existence.
Gear: For camera people - Most of my travel gallery images were shot with a Sony A7IV or Sony A7CR, which I began using in the Everglades Gallery. To date, I use a Sony 200-600mm, often with a 1.4TC, and a Tamron 28-200mm do-all zoom lens. Sabi Sands and Chobe safari shots were taken with a Nikon Coolpix P950. Despite the smaller sensor and lower megapixel count, most of those images print very well up to 11x14. If you’re more of a bird and wildlife enthusiast than photographer and find yourself flying weight restricted bush planes and sharing safari vehicles with others, I suggest considering a superzoom bridge camera.
Cautionary Note: For safari-goers, as of 2026, Ethiopia is serious about their no binocular policy, even if you’re just transferring overnight in Addis via Ethiopian Air. You may be given the option to keep them in left luggage, but it’s a time consuming hassle. Regarding binocs, on a more personal note, I strongly recommend high quality compact 10x25 binocs, such as Zeiss Victory or Swarovski CL Pocket. I have also personally used the Athlon Midas 10x25 and highly recommend them as a more budget friendly alternative. The smaller size and weight are priceless in the field.
Disclaimer: I have no affiliations with any camera equipment or optics manufacture, retailer, etc.