Unknowingly, I began my photo journey a long time ago, long before I held my first camera.

Growing up in Chicago gave me the opportunity to visit not one, but two, world class zoos. Seeing animals from around the world for the first time was a thrill.

Next was viewing critters, not confined, but wild and free, in the prairies west of Chicago. There were snakes and crayfish and birds, their names unknown to me at the time but the memories have remained.

In high school a summer trip to the Grand Canyon opened my eyes to size and color. The views from the south rim took my breath away.

Fast forward a few years to backpacking and snow skiing in California. Again, size and color and birds drew my attention. A camera was a way to take it all in.

From those beginnings my photo journey has continued – places to visit around the world, new gear to employ, new skills to acquire, but always with that same sense of wonder.