I was born in 1961 in New Orleans, Louisiana. My family moved to Calais, Vermont in 1973. As a young adult I lived in various parts of the country from Wyoming to Mississippi, Chicago to Maryland, and made several cross-country hitchhiking trips. By 1985 I had found that Vermont really was my favorite place to live, and came back to stay. My career in photography began at Antioch College in 1980. I have worked in various fields related to photography, including as a photographer for a weekly arts newspaper, in graphic arts, photofinishing, and teaching. I have also worked as a contractor, taxi driver, and land surveyor, among other things. Although I had been making personal photographs from the start, it was in 1992 that I acquired a 4"x5" view camera. It was a perfect match for me. Practically all of my previous work with smaller cameras was forgotten as I fully embraced large format photography. Also in that year I attended the Zone VI Workshop taught by Fred Picker. Since then, I have tried to do as much photography as I can. I see potential images all around wherever I go. My artistic efforts are squeezed between my family and earning a living. I am an amateur in the true sense of the word; I make photographs because I love doing it. Sometimes it seems like I have to. "To show a subject as it truly is...to find subjects that matter...to listen and let the subject tell me how to photograph it...to take pride in my craft...to be grateful for every failure and success...this is what my artwork is about."