As a wildlife photographer, and writer, I connect people with nature through photos and stories. Most of my photos were shot from my kayak while traveling down the St. Croix National Scenic River that borders Wisconsin and Minnesota, or on Lemon Bay, an estuary in southwest Florida. Movement of the water presents challenges to rendering sharp images, so I wake early and enjoy morning light and calm winds. Capturing movement of wildlife reveals what the eye seldom sees clearly, such as the quiet determination of herons, the tenderness of wolves or the buoyancy of trumpeter swans as they glide in formation. When I kayak, I use a monopod with a Canon 50D attached to a 100-400 telephoto lens. When photographing from land, I use a 600 mm lens attached to a 7D Canon camera on a Gitzo tripod with a Wimberly head. I prefer to print images on silk to create a unique quality to my photography.

My goal as a photographer is to create appreciation for the beauty and fragility of this planet, especially water ecosystems, such as the estuaries in Florida, the rivers in Wisconsin, and the lakes in Minnesota. Photographing wildlife requires stillness. This challenges me to slow down as I listen to nature speaking to me. I take care not to disturb wildlife, preferring to capture critter's behaviors in their natural habitat. My kayak serves as a blind, moving so slowly that the turtle stays on its log, the eagle continues feeding her young and the heron stalks. Combining language with photographs allows me to tell stories, such as the pro bono work I've created for the National Park Service, the Minnesota Audubon Society and Wildflower Preserve, part of Lemon Bay Conservancy.

My hope is to help preserve threatened and endangered species. I draw inspiration from species such as the eagle, and the trumpeter swan. Both species were once threatened and are now making a comeback due to changes in the environment. We are one community on this planet earth. Through photography, I can bring nature to others.


I have published over 80 articles, three books and numerous photographs, and won awards from the International Reading Association, the Wisconsin DPI, the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education and the University of Minnesota. In 2010 my memoir was a finalist for the Florida Palm Literary Awards. I belong to the Photographic Society of America, the PSI-WI Chapter, the Western Wisconsin PhotoClub, the Venice Camera Club, and the Minnesota Nature Photography Club. Feel free to visit my academic site.