It's been a long path to shooting professionally
At an early age I had a considerable aptitude for painting and drawing. I went on to study fine arts. The solitude and anxiety that often surrounds producing a single piece of art eventually took it's toll. Wanting a lighter and less angst ridden lifestyle, I stepped away from the canvas to find other creative outlets.

I'm one heck of a furniture maker and have worked for several years as a software developer. I've spent months in the forest creating owl habits, from dynamite. Ok, that last one might not be terribly creative but it was interesting (ask me about it sometime).

At last I took up photography as my profession. This is somewhat ironic since I've always taken photographs as a basis for creating my art.

Philosophy
I strive to use all my skills developed as an artist. The study of light and composition transfers well to photography. Some of the most well known photographers of our day started out as artists (Annie Liebowitz, Art Wolfe, for example). I prefer to capture a strong image in camera rather than salvage poor lighting and exposure in post. I do use photoshop to further enhance a concept.