I am a part-time professional photographer residing in Texas. I started seriously pursuing
photography as a hobby in 1994, when my wife and I bought some 35mm SLR camera equipment
for a vacation to Hawaii. I quickly sort of "took over" the camera system (my wife has since
purchased her own point and shoot camera) and have never looked back. More on my equipment
by clicking
here
Soon after our first son was born in 1995, I purchased lighting equipment for a portrait studio to
set up in my house. After my wife saw the first set of photos I took of our son in my studio, she
has never complained about how much I spend on equipment for my studio!
I presently perform about 75 sittings a year plus the ones I shoot of my wife and
children.
Those of you that have never been to Texas in April, have not seen the most spectacular and
colorful natural wonder on earth! In 1997, I purchased my first medium
format system and went about taking serious photos of Texas wildflowers. In 1998, I added a
large format system to my arsenal - but I am still learning to use
it! I have had several photos published by Texas Highways magazine in both the April
2000 and April 2001 issues (April always brings the infamous annual wildflower issue). I do not rigorously pursue publications because I prefer selling fine art prints instead.
I have also been fortunate to travel to some neat locations for photography during the past 2-3
years that I have been a shutterbug. In 1997, I traveled to the Columbia River Gorge area, Mt
Ranier, and Olympic National Park with my father. I returned to the area in 1998 with my
family and also took in the Idaho panhandle and Glacier National Park in Montana. I have also
been to Hawaii (again), the Washington D.C. area, and Holland during the past few
years.
Photography is a part-time business for me. I am employed full-time as a staff
research engineer for Shell Oil Company and
perform hydrodynamics research for offshore structures (primarily those in deepwater). I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. in Mechanical
Engineering from Rice
University.. My personal highlights during my years at Texas A&M include: playing in the Brazos Symphony Orchestra as first trombone; directing the TAMU (student) Jazz Band; teaching calculus; and graduating in only 3-1/2 years. It took me an additional four years to get my Ph.D., which was sped up by the fact that I was able to skip my Master's Degree (by passing a special examination).
I also have a lot of hobbies other than photography. I was the founder of CAPS Sports Ratings -
a computer rating system for college and professional sports teams. While my partners and I
decided to quit the business due to lack of interest in the early 1990s, the software is still better
than anything of the rating systems published today (by the way, we were published in the
Houston Post, Chicago Sun Times, New York Daily News, and were used by some of the NCAA
Basketball Tournament Selection Committee). Today, aside from spending lots of time with my wife and 3 children, I also enjoy
studying history (especially World War II), cycling, tennis, philosophy, and theology. This latter pursuit fits in
well with the active role my wife and I play as members of Trinity Baptist Church, and I like to think of
myself as an intellectual Christian. I believe that all that is in this world worth photographing
came from God, and I am thankful for the life he has given me. If you too would like to know
how you can come to know Jesus Christ as your personal savior, or would like to know more
about my "thinking" faith, then please email me!