I am originally from East Central Illinois. I first fell in love with photography when I was in middle school. My dad had a Pentax K1000 sitting around. Out of curiosity, I joined the school camera club and used that camera to start taking photos for the yearbook, covering girls' sports and high school events when I wasn't playing a sport or performing in a play or musical myself.
I am not, however, a photographer by trade. I am a board certified healthcare chaplain, and currently work in hospital administration for spiritual care. Photography was never intended to be a 'business venture' for me, though I have always stayed connected and studied photography my whole life, both as a spiritual practice and as a way of helping tell our human story.
Since 1986, I have done all forms of photography including street/candid, wedding and events, live concerts, sports at all levels, family and individual portraits, and travel/landscape. I have judged many presentations and have been juried myself. I presented my first show, And It Was Good, as a seminary student in 1998. That first show became the inspiration for my photography journey. It featured candids from mission work in Mexico and EL Salvador as well as nature and some portraiture. It told a story of how we are connected to each other by our mere existence and thus to all that is holy and good.
I have been privileged to learn from great photographers like Pete Souza, Steve McCurry, Maria Svarbova, and Krystle Wright, along with hundreds of wonderful peers and amateurs who love what they do. I am privileged most now to offer an opportunity to work for you to celebrate the moments in your life. I look forward to working with you.