I starting taking pictures when I was a teen, with my father's Minolta 35mm. I'd always liked being outside, so it was no surprise when the first time he gave it to me to use for a day I wandered around a nature preserve and chose birds as my first subjects. I've enjoyed photography since, but kept it as just a hobby for many years. In the not-so-distant past, friends and family began hinting that I should sell my photos. Being my own worst critic, I didn't think they were good enough - until a brilliant woman convinced me to print some of my shots on canvas. I began giving them to family as gifts, and I started to see that some of them were, in fact, pretty good! I'm still a hobbyist photographer - I take my camera on every hike, bike, nature walk, and slow-water paddle I go on. I'm a great lover of nature, and it is virtually my only subject. You never know what you're going to come across out there! I love to capture what I enjoy in person, and I hope you all are able to live vicariously through my efforts.