Hello World!  I have to pay my respects to my IT roots on my first blog.  I wanted to start this blog to share the amazing experiences I have with some great friends on my travels to unique, remote and beautiful places, a lot of which are here in Oregon that are still not photographed often.  I also wanted to share my journey on how I became the photographer I am, and pay forward what I've learned.  But first, let me catch you up on how I got here.

For as long as I can remember I've had a passion for art and photography, but it wasn't until I graduated from the University of Idaho with a Bachelors Degree in Information Systems, that I truly got serious about learning photography.  While unemployed and searching for my first true IT job, I read articles and watched YouTube tutorials on all the basics.  I didn't have a camera yet, but I knew I would soon buy one, so I studied which equipment I would need and more importantly, how to use it.  My IT background has been a huge strength for me, as I can quickly absorb technical information and apply it.  In the future I will blog about equipment and the technical aspects of photography.

When I got my first DSLR, I was excited to start shooting, and I did, but I really didn't know where to go or when to go there.  That’s when I was introduced to my good friend and fellow photographer Dan Sherman, and a great tool for learning photography called Flickr.  Some of the best photographers in the world post their pictures on Flickr, sometimes with a good story or good technical information on the location.  Although this was educational, I would say Dan was probably the most important piece of my development.  Through him, I learned what it takes to be at the right place at the right time, how to prepare for the extreme elements, and he was there to motivate me to get out and shoot when I was less than inspired.  Dan and I are also very different photographers, and see things very differently, which I’m sure is equally advantageous for both of us.  There have been several time when Dan has seen something that I hadn't and photographed it a way that I wouldn't have, which has sparked several ideas of my own.

One of the hardest things to do is to step out of your comfort zone, and for me that used to be portrait photography.  I think this was because I am showing people my soul, and asking that they do the same in return, which was scary to me.   For my first real portrait session, a co-worker, friend and photographer, Courtney Jade, offered to mentor me.  I couldn't pass that up!  I had a good year of landscape experience but no real portrait experience, so learning firsthand how to take control of the session, how to use natural light to my advantage, and how to create lines and use bokah to draw the eye where you want was priceless.  Courtney said afterwards she didn't really think she was helping, but I have to give my technical background the credit here.  I understood the concepts she was teaching me and was able to apply them.  I learned a lot, and I couldn't believe how much fun I had!  This opened me up to a whole new world, and I was hooked! 

This is where my journey started, and I’m excited to find out where it will take me!  This is only the beginning, so make sure you follow me on social media!