I am a semi-retired physician, re-engaging with photography, a passion suppressed for far too long. I now live in Mesa, Arizona, 15 minutes from the Salt River and 30 minutes from the Superstition Mountains, my new playgrounds.

I began taking photographs ~50 years ago, initially, for family and vacation memories. It wasn’t until after completing medical training and joining a medical practice in Arizona, that I began spending more time with photography, as an artistic and creative endeavor. Getting outdoors and looking through the viewfinder also took my focus away from the stress and strain of work (sorry, couldn’t resist, although it is true). Always looking for a creative outlet, I learned some guitar chords, forgot more banjo chords, and figured out I can’t draw, although at one time I had considered architecture as a profession. Photography, alone, has endured as that creative outlet.

Growing up in the Central Valley of California, with parents who were migrants from the Dust Bowl era, there were few opportunities or resources to consider photography as something other than a way to document family activities. My mother lining us all up for family photos, any time we all got together, is an enduring memory from childhood. It wasn’t until this year that I learned that at some point on her families’ journey to California, most of their belongings were stolen, including all of the treasured family photo albums and pictures!

On weekends, our family often took trips into the nearby mountains to camp. It was during these trips that I learned how to watch for wildlife and take in the beauty of the landscape: moving quietly through the forest, listening, observing, and most of all, having patience. Now I can take a camera into the outdoors and capture images using those earlier lessons in how to read the landscape, listen and look for clues from the light and weather, and try to predict their influence on wildlife behavior and landscape scenes. Those mountain trips also left me with an abiding respect for and comfort with the natural world. From an early age, I have been more comfortable with dirt under my feet and the quiet of the woods compared to being on crowded city sidewalks!

As for my photographic style, I am still learning and trying to figure that out. To date, I consider myself an opportunistic photographer, with a subdued or minimalist approach to processing my images. I prefer to photograph outdoor scenes and wildlife, but, when traveling or in the city I will often wander through streets or parks, photographing whatever captures my interest.

Joining the Nature Photographers Network is my first attempt at venturing out into the open with my photography. Although somewhat anxious, I look forward to the experience and opportunity to share my work and learn from such a talented and gracious community of photographers. I am also looking to contact local photographers and find a local photography club to join.