I'm Dyslexic and Fortunate

School in the '60s & '70s was no fun. Almost daily, I would be called slow, stupid, lazy, unable to concentrate, and tabled "Special Ed". The people were saying this was the school's staff, from the school's head to the newest hire.

My classmates often laughed at me for my reading struggles. Of course, I knew deep in my heart that none of that was true, but it hurt a lot. Art was one of my favorite classes as it came naturally to me, and the best part was I was making something and not having to read aloud.

I was fortunate to be kicked out of a school in Minnesota before high school. After months of endless letter writing and phone calls, my mother found The Gow School in South Whales, New York. It was the absolute best thing to happen to my educational path.

Once again, I found my peaceful class to be art, and my creative juice began to flow. I decided to be a nature photographer to become my best. My only goal has become, asking myself how good was my last image? And how can I make the next one even better?

My advice for everyone is to understand their strengths and weaknesses and then work at both of them as hard as you can every day. It will pay off.

I  have been a commercial and nature photographer since graduating from Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California in 1984. Along with my wife Debbie we have lived in Minnesota, Hawaii and now call Arizona home. 

Using my years of experience and desire to learn, it has become my goal to create images that make you “feel as if you are there”, as a way to bring the viewer closer to nature. I hope that my efforts help urge others in the preservation of our natural world, so future generations may enjoy these beautiful places. 

My work has appeared in several publications including Midwest Living, Roughing it Smoothly, Northwest Airlines World Traveler, Country America and Cruising World. I published “Itasca Headwaters of the Mississippi River” a book about Itasca State Park. Some of my clients include The Minnesota State Parks, The University of Minnesota, The Minnesota Historical Society, Best Buy, Target, Alamy, Amazon, Getty Images, Hampton Inn, Heritage Living Center and Holiday Inn.

Artist Statement

Medium: Photography

I first became interested in Photography as a young boy, and being surrounded by relatives who loved to take photographs. I spent most summers in northern Minnesota on the shores of Leech Lake in the Chippewa National Forest, this lead to a great appreciation for nature.

The world that we live in is changing faster than at any time in earth history. It is my goal  to make images that put you the viewer into my shoes at the time the image was created. It is my hope that my images will affect people’s appreciation of what we still have and will empower them to become more proactive in conservation.

I feel it is important to combine the old school techniques that I grew up with and todays digital imaging practices in order to bring the finest image possible. I have been a student of photography my whole life and while I hold a B.A. in Industrial Photography I believe that there is always more to learn about this art form. For the past thirty-four years I have been fortunate to call Photography my profession.  In 1992 I began photographing Itasca State Park and I never thought that I would still be photoghraping the Headwaters of the Mississippi River all these years later, yet some how every time I enter the park I am able to look at it anew and just amazed as I was the first time.

“Nature Photography for the Lovers of Nature”.