I was born in Philadelphia PA, and lived there for the first 32 years of my life. As long as I can remember, I have had a love for photography. My earliest memories take me back to my childhood, and time spent with my grandfather - a brilliant man with a passion for photography. My "Pop Pop" never attended a family gathering without his camera, and these events always turned into an impromptu and informal photo shoot. Despite the lack of formality and equipment, these photographs ultimately tell the story of my family, and my extended family, and are cherished dearly now that he is gone.

My grandfather had a darkroom and many times as a youngster and young adult, he'd invite me into this private room to watch him turn long strips of undeveloped film into photographs. The moments we spent in that room, bathed in the soft red glow of a safelight, are some of my fondest memories.

As a child, I did all of my shooting with an instamatic camera. I started with a 126 and moved to a 110 when they hit the market. If you remember those early point and shoot cameras, you may also remember "Magicube" flashbulbs since cameras in those days didn't have built-in flashes.

On my 18th birthday, I was gifted with my first 35mm camera. An entirely new world was opened up to me then. I learned about f-stops and aperture, and film speed and ISO, and began thinking creatively about the results I could get with my camera. Eventually I set up my own darkroom, and began developing and printing black and white photos.

I moved into the digital age in 2001, with a Canon Powershot A20. From that moment on, I was hooked on digital photography. Having the ability to experiment with composition and settings, and then delete what I didn't like - without paying for the printing of bad shots - provided me with even more freedom of expression.

Before our move to Alaska in 2003, I upgraded to a Canon G2 so I could capture the sights (and sounds - as the camera had video capabilities) of our cross country adventure. After seeing the Northern Lights for the first time, I knew I had to finally make the move to a more 'professional' digital camera and invested in a Canon Digital Rebel. I shot more than 40,000 frames with that camera, before burning out the auto-focus. I upgraded to the Canon 20D and invested in additional lenses so I could get closer to the amazing wildlife here in Alaska. Not too long ago, I upgraded again - this time to a 40D. I've since added additional lenses, one for portraiture, and a wide angle for shooting in low light conditions - which I use for the northern lights and night sky.

Even without a camera (which is rare!), I am constantly 'making photos' with my eyes. This hobby, turned passion, has enabled me to see color, texture, light, and shadow, as it comes together to form the beauty that surrounds me. I give thanks every day for the gift of sight. I hope you enjoying seeing the world through my eyes.