I have lived on the Outer Banks of North Carolina for most of my life.  It wasn’t until 2004 that I realized there is nothing I enjoy more than wandering around this beautiful place I call home.   Its nature reserves, historical landmarks, majestic sounds, Atlantic Ocean, and its wonderful people make for the perfect subject matter. I discovered photography after one of those life-changing experiences that left me with a need to slow down, change my lifestyle and re-assess my priorities.  The sudden realization that time is something not to be taken for granted, made me appreciate that I needed to spend mine more wisely and most importantly, to enjoy it. Combining an interest in photography with a love of nature was an ideal solution and has brought me the joy I sought.

I never really knew I had a knack for photography then during my career with the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau; I had several opportunities to really see the Outer Banks and all it had to offer.  I began shooting images while conducting press tours and realized just how much I enjoyed it.  There was one photo that I took in the spring of 2005 at the Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island and once it was developed, it occurred to me that I could actually do this.  I then wondered where this creativity came from because I never considered myself to be artistic in any way.  Drawing stick people for me was (and still is) a challenge.  Then it occurred to me, my grandfather, who passed away several years ago, was a photographer as a young man.  Since then I feel he is with me every time I venture out to shoot something new.  He has given me new eyes to see things in a different perspective.

Being relatively new to nature and wildlife photography, I still have a lot to learn but I take every opportunity to try and improve, learning a great deal from other photographers both on field trips, meetings and forums, and I read constantly in an effort to learn more.

After taking various photographs of wildlife, nature subjects, and people I seem to gain the greatest satisfaction from the more abstracted images - those which look at an otherwise not extraordinary subject and show it in an unusual way or from a different angle.  I try to make the viewer stop and take look a moment.  I will be expanding on this theme and adding more images as I explore the possibilities further.

I hope you enjoy looking at my images.