I’m a professional nature and wildlife photographer, educator, mentor, and tour leader currently based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, though the majority of my photographic journey was shaped along California’s Central Coast, especially around Los Osos and Morro Bay, where I grew up and lived for almost 50 years. Those landscapes, the salt marshes, rugged coastline, oak woodlands, and tidal estuaries, became both my classroom and refuge for many years.
My formal education is actually in Graphic Design, and photography was not originally the direction I thought my life would take. Years ago, a close friend who was a nature photographer and “critter wrangler extraordinaire” introduced me to wildlife photo shoots and working with animals both great and small. Somewhere along the way, I realized that all the skills I had developed as a kid catching lizards, snakes, frogs, and other creepy crawlers suddenly had purpose. What started as curiosity slowly became a calling.
Long before photography became my profession, it became a way for me to connect more deeply with the natural world. I found myself drawn to wildlife not just because animals were beautiful, but because they represented something honest and untamed. Photography taught me to slow down, pay attention, and truly observe.
Much of my early work happened during quiet mornings around Morro Bay, wandering the back roads of Los Osos, or hiking the trails of Montaña de Oro State Park before sunrise. I spent countless hours photographing shorebirds in the estuary, sea otters floating in kelp beds, bobcats moving through coastal scrub, and the changing moods of the Pacific coastline. Those years shaped not only my photography, but also my philosophy toward nature and wildlife.
One thing that has become deeply important to me over the years is ethics in wildlife photography. Like many photographers learning the craft, I experienced environments where baiting, captive subjects, or creating artificial situations for dramatic images were considered acceptable parts of wildlife photography. But as I evolved, both as a photographer and as a person, my philosophy changed significantly. I do not bait wildlife, use captive subjects, or create artificial situations simply to produce dramatic images. For me, the welfare of the animal always comes first.
Over time, what began as a personal passion evolved into a professional career. My work has been recognized in competitions and publications, including honors from the National Audubon Society and Nature’s Best Photography. My images have appeared in magazines such as Nature’s Best, Audubon, Ranger Rick, California Outdoors, Bay Nature, Outdoor Photographer, and many others. As people began asking how I found wildlife, approached subjects, or created certain images, I naturally moved into teaching workshops and presentations. Eventually, that evolved into leading small, boutique wildlife photography tours. I also mentor photographers in nature and wildlife photography and offer portfolio reviews, helping photographers strengthen both their technical skills and their ability to create emotionally impactful images.
Today I lead photography tours and workshops to locations such as Yellowstone National Park, Sax-Zim Bog, Nome, and Mashatu in Botswana. What makes my tours different is that I intentionally keep them small and personal. I want participants to have direct guidance, meaningful experiences, and the opportunity to truly connect with the places and wildlife they are photographing.
In recent years, I’ve also focused heavily on visual storytelling. I encourage photographers to think beyond simple “tourist shots” and instead create bodies of work that communicate deeper stories about wildlife, habitat, conservation, and our relationship with the natural world. Whether I’m standing quietly waiting for an owl to emerge from the forest, teaching students how to anticipate behavior in the field, or sharing stories from years spent photographing wildlife along the California coast, I still approach photography with the same sense of wonder that first drew me into it years ago.
For me, wildlife photography has never simply been about taking pictures. It’s about connection, presence, patience, and learning to truly see the wild world around us.
