Artist Statement

As a landscape photographer, I strive to capture the remote and incredible splendors of the natural world. My focus is on sharing my vision of these wild places and inspiring stories of adventure and the pursuit of curiosity in us all.

Being a bit of a loner growing up, I’ve always turned to the outdoors to find my place in the world. It’s only recently that I think I’ve begun to understand why. I believe it’s because the wilderness inspires within me a deep curiosity—a search for those “divine” enclaves specially sculpted by the hands of God. These landscapes are so utterly pure and beautiful that only religious ideas or pictorial representations suffice in describing them. I’m in search of the formidable and dramatic, the idyllic and serene, or the desolate and vast. This pursuit drives my life and steers my photography. Hopefully, my work speaks for itself because this is my goal: to share those stories of exploration in pursuit of finding those “divine enclaves” and to share those “divine enclaves” themselves. My passion has never really been rooted in photography but rather in the outdoors, and in the adventure and meaning it rewards me. Photography simply gave me an excuse to pursue these desires. It was the impetus, the encouraging force that took me from simply finding beauties in the quaint forests of Wisconsin to searching the world for these scenes sculpted by God and sharing them with you. (After thinking further on this topic, I’d like to add that a lot of the joy I receive from landscape photography is from the chase of light and atmosphere. It’s that combination of finding these immaculate scenes permeated with that fleeting splendor—the light, the atmosphere—that leaves me in awe. These powerful moments of transcending beauty and drama are the ones I hope to share with the world).

So, how do I create my imagery? First, I should mention that I’m instinctive with my work. There isn’t much planning involved—tripods are rarely ever used—and I often find myself running around in a frenzy, with my camera in hand, and fleeting light causing excitement as I search for a composition that will tell the story I want. It’s chaotic, exciting, and fun. I’m often winded after a shoot with dramatic light. That being said, when I finally find that scene that speaks to me, there is some order in my process. I’m very precise with my craftsmanship in the field, considering each element and how they work in relation to one another to create a well-balanced photograph. I’m meticulous with my technical settings, making sure each photograph is pure of any errors (although adding on to that, I will admit there have been a decent amount of occasion where, do to environmental factors for various reasons, technical perfection has to take a back seat to storytelling. This is especially the case in violent weather, when I’m exhausted, cold, and beaten down, or when the scene is simply changing too quickly to be worrying about such things). I strive to create something new every time I make a photograph so I’m often finding myself in weird positions: butted up against obnoxious trees crawling with spiders and mosquitoes or barely clinging on to a near vertical scree field. For the right composition, I’m committed, and—as I hope you can see—that commitment speaks volumes in my work.

Because my goal is to share the story of adventure, I’m never fully satisfied with how my camera depicts a location. It’s never enough; it’s always lacking (I repeat, not the location itself, but my camera’s depiction of it). A camera renders a three-dimensional scene into one of only two dimensions. It’s my job, with post-processing—as well as compositional and field techniques—to rectify that limitation as best as I possibly can and with a bit of creative liberty, I can do it well enough to bring that emotion from real life, into the photograph. So, yes, I do utilize software like Photoshop and Lightroom to create a piece of art that represents my vision accurately. Although there are some techniques I shy away from because I consider them untruthful to the story I’m trying to tell, I tend to be liberal with my post-processing efforts. Some techniques I often use include bracketing, time-blending, focus-stacking, dodging and burning, color grading, etc. However, I avoid adding physical elements, or removing them (such as sky replacements, wildlife, buildings, or power lines). I steer clear of adjusting light and color to the extent that if you were there at the time of the photograph being taken, you wouldn’t be able to recognize it. None of the photographs you see in my portfolio are created with artificial intelligence. Though I’ve begun to use A.I. in everyday life to help with various tasks, I will never use it to create a photograph. As I mentioned earlier, photography is about the process of creation and storytelling, and that essence is completely lost with the use of A.I. All of my imagery is meticulously crafted both in the field and in the studio to create what you see in my portfolio.

My goal is to go out, explore, and find something new. I’m not interested in creating the same photograph as everyone else; it has no impact on me. So far, I’ve been able to reach some incredible places in North America, but I’m always striving to go further and stay longer. I’m still in the process of learning all the fundamentals of wilderness travel and survival. This whole thing is not just a passion or attempt at a profession, it’s a way of life, the way I look at life. Photography and exploration is what drives me, keeps me fit mentally and physically, it motivates every decision and guides every opportunity I have. Nevertheless, I hope you take something away from my work. I hope it inspires within you an adventurous spirit. I hope the beauty of the places I photograph transcends into your life. I hope you appreciate the care I put into each and every photograph you see, both in and out of the field. And I hope the stories about pursuing your curiosities resonate with you and inspire you to get out, have an adventure, and explore God’s incredible creation.