I grew up with a passion for photography – I have always loved taking photos and capturing a specific moment in time, at a specific place, with a specific vantage point, and with a specific mood – letting my images tell part of a larger story.  My parents bought me my first Polaroid camera when I was six years old, and a few years later I was clicking and winding yellow and black Kodak disposable cameras, taking them to the local drugstore, and then waiting excitedly to see how they turned out.  As technology improved and I learned more about photography over the years, I would upgrade whenever I could.  I bought my first 35-millimeter camera when I was 13, my first digital camera when I was 25, and my first fully-automatic 35-millimeter SLR when I was 28 – one of seven I’ve purchased since then.

I’m also incredibly passionate about traveling – beach vacations are my favorite.  The beach is my happy place – I love the feeling of the bright sun warming and tanning my skin, the sight and sounds of waves rushing in and breaking towards the shore, and the soft grains of sand running through my toes.  The beach is my idea of paradise – it puts me into a mental and physical state of pure bliss – whether I’m listening to music, reading a book, walking along the ocean, floating and swimming in the water, or sharing my surroundings with my family, friends, and total strangers from all walks of life.