About the Book
Awareness of the Southwest came through a work exchange; trading photography services for guitar lessons. So I went to Tucson, not knowing I would find such beauty in the hot sun and parched land. It's there I would learn about the unique ecosystems of the Sonoran Desert. And in northern Arizona, the Vermillion Cliffs offered even more dramatic scenes, with wave-like rock formations.
Still taking advantage of commissions, I found myself in Las Vegas a number of times. Once the job was over, I would head towards a park. Many of California's best parks are easily accessible from Las Vegas. Soon, I discovered the vast and beautiful emptiness of Death Valley. It's there I learned about the Mojave Desert and how it's considered a “transition” desert.
Finally, Utah is canyon country. Labyrinthian in nature, these "reverse mountain ranges", as Edward Abbey called them, offers views into the past like no other place. Hiking along rock paintings or carvings that are thousands of years old (and still in their natural setting) has a way of offering a perspective to one's own life.
So without question, Arizona, California, and Utah are three of my favorite states. The parks and landscapes in these states continue to inspire and instruct. After looking at this book, my hope is that the viewer has a newfound interest in their own local park. Even in the Midwest, there are some surprisingly scenic places.
About the Creator
Someone once made an observation that all I seemed to photograph were trees and buildings. The two subjects would eventually come to represent different ways of looking and interpreting. For buildings, intricate composition and a rich black and white tonal range combine to impart a timeless quality. But in my trees, look for fewer details, more natural lines, and less obligation to the subject. In a more literal sense, no description of me is complete without a mention of home in Wichita, Kansas. It's there at Wichita State University that I discovered the allure of photography. Eventually, I found my way to Chicago's Columbia College. Then it was only a matter of time before Chicago's landscape cast it's spell over me. Now, with the city's forms and lines firmly in my vocabulary, I help architects and designers dramatically communicate their projects as well as provide art patrons with inspiring imagery.