I had lived northwest of Chicago all my life until 1997 when my dream came true. Living near the mountains was a lifelong dream and a job offer with the Rocky Mountain News in Denver CO made this dream possible. No, not as a writer! A question that I had been asked for so many years. Not even a photographer, but a manager in the circulation department which I had been for the Chicago Tribune for over 20 years. Far from a glamorous job, for I would get up in the middle of the night to insure all newspaper deliveries were made. However, I was blessed to experience the most peaceful, quiet hours of a day before the sun would rise. Witnessing the quality light before, during and shortly after sunrise was my reward for this often thankless job.

The topography of Colorado allowed me to actually see this light travel across the landscape. The alpenglow on the mountainsides is my favorite. I began photographing this beautiful landscape to share with my family and friends back home in Illinios. In December of 1999 I purchased my first SLR camera and started to get serious about nature photography.

I would travel to Rocky Mountain National Park, the Indian Peaks Wilderness and the numerous Colorado State Parks throughout Colorado to photograph the first morning light. Each trip into the mountains would be a spiritual experience. Most times I had an image in my mind and knew where I would go. It was the times I had no destination planned or was forced to change my plan because of weather conditions would be the most spiritual. It seemed I was being led to a location at the right time to have the perfect weather, sky, light and composition unfold before me to make a beautiful photograph.

Photography became my passion. I attended photography seminars, read books and magazines and anything I could to improve my images. Finally in 2004, I won the Mike’s Camera and Eldorado Canyon State Parks Photography Contest. Seven of my photo’s have been excepted into the Pentax Photo Gallery and in 2008 I was awarded two awards from Colorado State Parks. Creek Fishermen won week 8 of their “Signs of Spring Photography Contest” and Snow Melt Arrival took the grand prize, both were taken in Eldorado Canyon State Park a few miles south of Boulder. This was a huge confidence builder that helped me strieve to continue to fuel this passion.