A Little About Me

 

Hello All!!!

I would like to re-start this blog by allowing you to get to know the photographer behind the images you all love. If there is one thing I've noticed as of late, people are more willing to follow your work and purchase prints from someone they can relate to and know. They want to know, who the artist is. In todays era of AI, photography can be what ever you want it to be. If you want a photo of a beautiful sunset over the mountains to hang on your wall, heck, just a few keystrokes in the right program and poof, there it is on your computer and ready to print. In some cases, the image may even be better than many photographers can produce themselves. However, that's not what most people, (looking for art), are looking for, they want an honest piece of art from a real person and not from some computer program. That's where getting to know the photographer/artist and/or meeting them in person will do. I believe, that's how more and more people will be buying their wall art as these times change. That is what this post is all about, getting to know yours truly a little better as a Person/Photographer/Artist and not just a name on you computer screen.

I have a short little Bio on the website like most photographers, but I like to dive just a little deeper. I am married to my beautiful wife and have our little puppy, Scrappy Doo!, not so much a puppy, he is 12 years old now, but he is still a puppy to us. We have several friends we have met since moving here and love to socialize with them. You can find us out at one of our beach bars (mainly Juana's) on most any givin weekend, cold beer in hand and just enjoying life. I really enjoy meeting and connecting with people and my customers, I do this mainly through Art and Craft shows. This year (2023) however with the rains earlier this Spring and the excessive heat this summer, that just hasn't been a possibility for me. So, here, you'll get the next best thing. 

In my early years I picked up my first serious film camera, and just wanting to take better than average photos for myself. However after about a year the camera was destroyed by a rouge wave on Florida's East coast, and that was that for cameras for a while. I was young, saved my money and bought the camera (actually, my wife bought as a present for me), and it was one of those things we couldn't just go out and easily replace, so my photography was placed on hold for a while. The next thing you know, life and careers took hold, as well as other interests, and I didn't really pick up another serious camera till after retirement. 

My career started and ended in Law Enforcement, both civilian and military over a span of 30+ years. While I really enjoyed my career path, it finally came time to retire. During retirement, boredom soon set in and I needed something to keep me busy, so my interest in Jeeps and off-roading set in. What a great way to see parts of the country most people never get to see. Not long after my retirement, my wife also had to retire, at which time we hatched an idea to sell all our belonging, buy an RV and travel full time, seeing this beautiful country of ours. Not soon after that decision was made, I bought my next real camera, a Nikon DSLR. So, armed with my new camera, a Jeep and the ability to travel the country, my love of Landscape Photography began.

We were blessed with our ability to travel which we did it for 12 years. One day looking at each other and deciding that the fun had run it's course, it was time to settle down somewhere. Ok, but where? We were able to pick and choose anywhere in the country as we had no real ties to any one place, so the search began. We decided it would be by the beach or in the mountains. The mountains soon lost our vote as it's just too darn cold in the winter for our liking. Ok, the beach, but which beach? For us, the west coast was out, the east coast was out, leaving the Gulf Coast to look at. From Texas to Mississippi was not a good fit for us (various reasons) leaving the Florida and Alabama Gulf Coast. As retired military, being close to a military base made sense, so sparing you much further thought process, we settled on the Navarre area in the NW Florida Panhandle. After 12 years in an RV, we know we didn't need much to be happy and bought a small 2 bedroom home here. After a few years, do we wish for something bigger, yes sometimes, but we are happy and content with out choice.

During our time travelling is when my photography really took off. After a few years I began selling my work at arts and Crafts show's around the country with success, learning again, people are more apt to buy photography of their local area, from someone they can meet in person and have that connection with. This customer connection can really bring a whole new joy to your work and it did mine.

As far as my style goes, Landscapes are my thing, but also Landscapes with a human touch, mainly old structures with character interacting with the landscape are a real joy to shoot. Of course after moving here, the beach has become a source of inspiration, but not just any ole beach shot, ones that show no human interaction, just the wild untouched beauty of our gulf coast.  

Well, I think I've raddled on long enough about me, I hope this gives you a little more insight into who I am as a person, photographer and artist. I hope to see many of you who are in my local area and hear from you who are not.