My photography journey began as it does for most – capturing memories of family vacations. Every summer growing up, my family would venture across the monotonous plains of the Midwest for as long as our absurd car games would entertain us. Our goal was simple: escape our daily routines and fully immerse ourselves in nature. On one fateful trip to the Grand Canyon, we borrowed a friend’s kodak camera. I utilized majority of the 21-hour drive learning each and every setting through trial and error. Two weeks and five thousand photos later, I was utterly and completely hooked.
It has been twenty years since that fateful trip. Since then, I have been fortunate to live in the Midwest, the south, and the east coast, along with time in Europe. I studied architecture and had the opportunity to work at some amazing studios across the country, eventually being brought on as a partner at BristowMather. I got married and vacations with my wife have have taken us to a variety of new cultures across five continents. Today my wife and I reside in Brooklyn surrounded by 8 million people – we love every minute of it. However, vacations are still spent chasing those remote sanctuaries I was raised on.
Over all that time my camera has been upgraded multiple times and I have tubs full of gadgets to create “better” photos – Heck, I have three different apps to help me locate where the moon will be on any given day, anywhere in the world. And yet through it all, I still have that same sense of wonder and excitement I felt watching my first Grand Canyon sunset, my camera precariously placed on a rock for a make-shift tip-pod. I started this website mostly at the persistent requests of a former colleague, but also to share my experiences with anyone interested. After spending months revisiting twenty years of photographs, I cannot help but reflect on how fortunate I have been to find a medium so adept at capturing what my words never could. I sincerely hope you enjoy this collection of images and experiences.
Rural Photography:
My photography quickly evolved from a rudimentary collection of vacation highlights to a much more personal attempt to capture my emotional experiences within the natural world. Each of my photographs evokes a strong, nostalgic memory of past experiences and places. Sitting lakeside in Montana with a tin cup of tea in hand, watching the mist burn off as the sun rises. Finding that perfect rock to rest on, bundling up, and patiently waiting for a fading blue hour to reveal the Milky Way arching across the sky. For many of my photographs, hours were invested waiting for the perfect “moment” to capture. No phones, no distractions – just time to appreciate and observe the untouched wilderness that remains in our world. For me, chasing those isolated hours in nature is more alluring than any art produced for home décor or shared on a website. My photography is just an insufficient attempt to prolong those profound experiences where day-to-day life fades away and you can truly find peace.
Urban Photography:
I had been photographing landscapes for around five years before I started my journey as an architect. The more I began to understand the built world, the more I began to gain similar experiences mirroring my rural adventures. My urban photography, less grandiose than galactic bodies of stars over the Rockies, tends to center around more fleeting, intimate architectural moments. The moments may be temporary, but the memories are anything but. Upon my arrival in Rome, I was exhausted from travel and fell asleep on the porch of the pantheon (I do not recommend for safety concerns). I woke to the most ethereal band of light illuminating the coffered ceiling. I went back nearly every week attempting to recreate that feeling in a single image. Urban photography for me lies more in the hunt than in any artistic result. I keep the trophy (photograph) only to serve as a reminder I was lucky enough to experience that specific transient moment in an otherwise constantly evolving environment.