I started photographing when 16 years old, and for many years it was a hit-or-miss hobby; I occasionally made some good images, but didn’t necessarily know why. A Minolta SRT-101 was my first camera and I kept using it through college, adding lenses as I could afford them, cost being more important than quality as I now know.
I focused on nature subjects because of my involvement as a Boy Scout from age 11 until I earned my Eagle Scout award. I read a lot of photography magazines, absorbing what made a good image. My wife and I vacationed in areas rich in landscape and wildlife, and I photographed whenever the opportunity arose, getting better all the time. I had amassed quite a collection of slides, not all of them great.
My philosophy had always been that the cost of film was inconsequential compared to the rest of the costs of a trip, so I used it liberally, sorting out the reasonably good ones and discarding the junk. I felt the method was sound; the more images I shot, the more good ones in the mix. The downside was that I didn’t pay too much attention to why I made bad images.
I really made a big leap in my photographic skill once I joined a local camera club, the Photographic Society of Rhode Island ( PSRI ) held an annual Salon, which advertised in some of the local camera shops. In the late 1990’s I entered a couple of images and won first place, and finally became a member in 2000. That summer I attended the annual conference (a weekend gathering of 1200 camera club members) of the New England Camera Club Council (NECCC) where I attended several lectures on technique. Over time, I learned what made an interesting image, and what elements in an image were distracting; my percentage of “keepers” was greatly improved.
I have made four formal presentations at the NECCC annual conference,. In July 2003 I presented a travelogue titled “Alaska”, providing the what, where, and when of photographing in the Great State. In 2006 I gave an instructional program on macro photography, “Close Up: Tools and Techniques”. At the 2008 conference I was honored to present my showcase presentation “Favorite Places, Favorite Images” a compilation of 450 images set to music with sections on backyard photography, Kenya, The National Parks, Birds, Hawaii, Landscape, Australia, and Creatures (large and small). In 2010 I was invited to present another showcase, titled Travels Near and Far, a compilation of images from Iceland, Norway, Alaska, New Mexico, Costa Rica, Galapagos, and the backyard.
My images have appeared in several magazines including Audubon, Nature’s Best Photography, Wild Bird, Birder’s World, Rhode Island Monthly, Outdoor Photographer, and Sierra, as well as on the websites of Audubon and National Wildlife magazine. One of my images was selected Grand Prize Winner of Audubon Magazine’s 2010 Birds In Focus photography contest.
I hope you enjoy viewing my images as much I as enjoy taking them.