Born in Wisconsin in 1961 and then raised in Ohio where I entered the Marine Corps in 1979. While on my first deployment overseas I purchased a 35mm camera and was hooked. Soon afterwards I purchased the majority of the equipment, which is still with me today. My passion for photography was curtailed by the hectic military lifestyle and raising a family. In 2005 I retired from the Marines and once the pace of life slowed down I decided to move from film-based systems into the digital medium. I was not only fascinated with the complexity and the photographic detail today’s digital cameras were capable of producing, but the quality of prints today’s professional printers are capable of producing.

    My photography style is largely due to the love of the outdoors from wildlife and nature, weather, and astronomy. Why the desert? My first assignment with the Marines was here in 1979 and the crystal clear air and the vast open landscape of the Mojave Desert made a tremendous impact. The raw power and beauty of this land may not grab you as it did me but stay here awhile and it will. I was assigned here again in 1989 through 1994 then finally in 2001. All of which I spent quite a bit of time enjoying Joshua Tree National Park with either my cameras or looking through the telescope.
  
   Some will think I’m nuts getting up in the wee hours in the morning just to catch an astronomical event, such as a meteor shower, or to catch the first rays of the sunrise. The tranquility of the desert at that time in the morning, with the Milky Way winding overhead, and a hot cup of coffee is something to experience.
    I hope my photography conveys the beauty that I see all around the desert. Photography just comes naturally since the beauty is already there. All I have to do is take the picture.