Several years ago, I asked myself why I create photos. After many years of being a photographer, I never asked myself that question before. I just made photographs because it was something that I enjoyed, and doing so was second nature to me. I create photos because photography is a type of meditation for me, and it’s a way for me to live in the moment and forget about everything else that’s going on while concentrating completely on what I’m observing. It’s a form of mindfulness, and the more I can connect with a subject, especially a subject in nature, the more easily I can see the things that are going on right in front of me, and the better my pictures turn out. Sometimes I seem to manifest things, like a bird flying by at exactly the right moment or an amazing sunset, or clear skies for photographing the Milky Way when the forecast predicted the opposite. The fact is that these circumstances are created by placing yourself in positions to respond to things as they happen. I try to convey this to my students and encourage them to be patient. If you’re out in nature with the intention of capturing some photos, but you’re thinking about what time you need to get home, you’re not going to have the same connection with your surroundings, and you won’t end up with very good photos. The same goes for photographing events or people. When I’m hired to photograph an event and walk into a room, it takes me a few minutes of observation to make that connection. It’s as if a switch gets flipped, and I become totally immersed in what’s happening around me. Once that happens it can be hard for me to turn off that switch and stop taking photos, especially when I’m photographing a musical performance.

I describe my style as “romantic” because my goal is typically to show the beauty in our world. My style is greatly influenced by my musical tastes, the teachings of Wayne Dyer and the impact that the romantic poets I studied, such as William Wordsworth, had on my creativity.

My teaching style was, of course, influenced by the teachers I’ve had throughout my life, but also by my time spent in college as a wilderness guide for an organization called Meet the Wilderness. We would take inner-city kids on five-day backpacking trips in the mountains around Vail, Colorado. Our philosophy was centered on experiential learning, meaning that you learn by doing. I believe that the best way to learn photography is by doing and by making as many mistakes as possible. You can read as many articles and watch as many YouTube videos as you want, but you won’t fully understand the process of creating images unless you dive into experiences that allow you to test and build your skills.

When people ask me what I photograph, I tell them that I photograph experiences. I photograph the experience of practicing mindfulness when immersed in nature. I photograh the experience of standing under a dark sky, observing the wonder and awe of the stars, a meteor shower, the Northern Lights and the Milky Way. I photograph the experience of completely admiring a piece of street art, such as a sculpture or a mural. I photograph the experiences other people are enjoying while attending an event. I photograph the experience of someone expressing their passion through an athletic or musical performance.