About
My keen interest in photography started 67 years ago when I first noticed the beauty, artistry, and message of magazine and museum photos. I began taking my own photos with an old Kodak bellows camera and a Brownie Hawkeye. I was keenly interested in learning how to do my own darkroom processing. I experimented with many kinds of films, and learned about ISO, contrast, and grain. Then I bought my first 35mm camera. Later I began to use color negative and slide films. Learning photography and darkroom processing first with film gave me a grounding and education. I am currently using Nikon mirrorless equipment based on the Z9.
My interests in ethnomusicology and anthropology inspired me to take many photographs of cultural scenes and traditional ways of life that are now nearly gone. My goal is to use photography to honor traditional cultures and to inspire others to help preserve their lifestyles and cultures.
I have always been a lover of animals and I try to visit zoos and refuges where I can see them. The most special animals are rapidly going toward extinction. Those animals are often not regarded as important to save by the impoverished people living in the places where the animals live. I have made most of this photography website to show many different animals in their natural habitat and doing the things that make them happy. I hope this will be a tool to move people to care for all animals and especially protect those that have been significantly reduced in population by hunting, loss of habitat, and by climate change.
In 2017, my wife and I went to two different locations in South Africa. After that we toured Madagascar for a few weeks taking pictures of the native wildlife and the environment. I was shocked to see that the local people were setting fire to the forests and the grasslands to make grazing land for raising cattle. They would start fires in long lines, often as much as 100 miles long and then just let it burn without any control to take care of what it burned down. Many of the most beautiful and sweet lemur species are very close to extinction.
When I returned, I realized that I needed to help from here and did some research. I found the Duke Lemur Center of Durham, N. Carolina was actively trying to make a real difference by bringing lemurs to this country, breeding them, and then taking some back to Madagascar to places out of reach of the cattle farmers. They are also giving many to zoos so people can see and be amazed by them. People will usually try to protect the things they love. I hope that my photos of lemurs will do just that. We have donated money to the Duke Lemur Center.