In 2002, I joined a local art league having just taken up watercolor painting after decades away from art. I bought a camera to take reference photos for painting, but I quickly realized that I enjoyed photography more than painting (and I was a lot better at it too.)
Since then, I've entered my photos and digital images in numerous art shows and exhibitions, winning my share of awards along the way.
Born in Michigan and raised there and in Ohio, I now live in Huntington Beach, California with my human family and two terriers, Guinness and Hazel. (Guinness is a very photogenic Westie; artists around the world have painted him based on my photos. Hazel is a sweet shelter dog -- mostly Wheaton Terrier -- who can look both regal and scruffy, and has also been captured in paintings.)
Huntington Beach is an ideal place for a photographer to live. Start with the beaches where you can see outstanding surfers, the immense power of storm-driven waves, and stirring sunsets. The nearby Bolsa Chica Wetlands Ecological Preserve is a treasure with it's variety of birds and animals, along with beautiful landscapes and waterscapes. The many parks in Huntington Beach offer lots to see and photograph: I've laughed while observing a Canada Goose chase a Great Blue Heron around and around a small pond; marveled at the amazing synchronized feeding behavior of White Pelicans; observed the unique fighting techniques of coots during their breeding season, shared some quality time with a Great Horned Owl, enjoyed watching ground squirrels go about their daily activities, and spent days waiting to photograph a Monarch butterfly emerging from its chrysalis.
When I'm not taking photos or creating digital images I design websites, something I started after volunteering to step in as the webmaster for my art league. You can see some of the sites I've designed from my LINKS page.