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Like many of you out there, I came to photography as product of loving the images of others. As with many, I’ve always been moved by the work of Ansel Adams but not actually inspired by it. I was more inspired through his words and philosophy. There are three quotes attributed to him that got me started:

No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.

To photograph truthfully and effectively is to see beneath the surfaces and record the qualities of nature and humanity which live or are latent in all things.

You don't take a photograph, you make it.

That first quote is perhaps the last one I took to heart but is, I believe, the most important. Inspiration to produce images like those I’ve seen is what got me started but I quickly abandoned that practice once I found I could do it. Now, I find myself on a never-ending quest to produce images that are unlike those of others. This, it turns out, is far more difficult than plagiarism and a standard I find I seldom meet.

The second quote above speaks to my creative side in a way that is hard to articulate but for me it boils down to capturing a moment that will never come again and the feeling that accompanies it. I believe that there is some type of spiritual connection between domesticated humans and the wild animals we once were and the goal is to tap into that connection and use it to produce images. This is perhaps why I tend to find myself looking at things that do not fall under human control as opposed to those created by the hand of man.

Finally, the third quote is pretty self-explanatory but I try to take it one level further by remembering another quote from Adams – “A good photograph is knowing where to stand.” This applies to sitting, lying on the ground, crawling, or hanging upside down. To me, it is also about knowing when to be there.

Ultimately, I try to follow a simple rule: no matter where I am there are good photos all around me, I just have to open my mind and find them. The eyes on the front of my head are important at the moment of capture but the one in my mind is the most important for composition.

Since February 14, 2008 photography has taken on a new meaning to me. It was on that day that my daughter and only child, Ryanne, was murdered in a classroom at NIU with 4 other students. At the time of her death, I was out in the woods taking pictures and I have found that this is where I can go to find peace. It often seems as though she is there helping to comfort me so that I can carry on without her. It is because of this that I focus on wildlife so much. You see, in nature, any animal that has lived to the age of breeding knows the pain of having a child taken and I, therefore, feel a certain kinship with all of the wild critters I encounter.

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