I was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. I got to travel across the US many times during summer breaks, visiting and working on my relatives farms, ranches (I think Mom needed a break from me) and experiencing culture and geography vastly different from the central Texas plains. I learned a lot about life and how to face the unknown with confidence. My love for travel and new adventures is probably rooted in those summers filled with new experiences and adventures.
In 1972 I received a letter inviting me to join the Army and the fun of the Vietnam Era. I quickly choose my own poison and enlisted in the Navy. The Navy trained me in advanced electronics and nuclear power. I was a volunteer for submarine duty and after graduation from the Navy Nuclear Power Program, I was privileged to serve on four submarines. ( USS Patrick Henry SSBN 599, USS Permit SSN 594, USS Florida SSBN 728 and USS Pargo SSN 650). I earned my BS from Southern Illinois University while on active duty, thanks mostly to my wife's encouragement, and retired as a Chief Petty Officer in 1992.
I am happily married to the most beautiful and interesting woman I ever met. We have a wonderful family, with kids, grandchildren, dogs, grand-dogs, in-laws, outlaws and all the stuff of life that makes it fun and worthwhile. I love the ocean, beaches, mountains, deserts, wildlife and abundant natural beauty found everywhere travel took me. Lately I have spent a lot of time in San Luis Obispo County on California's Central Coast. This place is kind of like a Garden of Eden for me, and most of the current posted images are from there. That being said, tomorrow is a new day, when the opportunity to travel appears, I hope to discover more of our wonderful United States of America! And Canada, and Mexico, and etc..
I am a Christian. Jesus is my Lord. He taught me faith and how to truly love and live and hope. "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." Please try to love the world with the same love you want to receive. I believe that the love you give will return to you bigger than the love you gave. I pray God will bless you with a greater appreciation for His creation that we are responsible for tending. His creation, captured through my lens. Presented for your pleasure. My galleries are updated multiple times each month.
ABOUT MY PHOTOGRAPHS: I try to follow NANPA’s Truth in Captioning Statement for labeling and captioning. I hope this will help viewers better understand how the image was captured. Images that fall into a category of Captive, Controlled, Baited and Attracted will be identified, as well as images that are Manipulated, Composite, or Multiple Exposure (including HDR and Stitched Panorama). Images that fall under the category of Wild, As Shot and Cleanup will not be identified as such.
Wild – The term “wild” applies to any animal having the freedom to go anywhere and to disregard artificially set boundaries, with the exception of preserves established to protect the animal for its own sake, and where it lives in a natural state.
Captive – The term “captive” applies to any animal that is living under human care and control for an extended period of time. This includes, but is not limited to, zoos, game farms, falconry, rescue facilities, and research facilities.
Controlled – The term “controlled” applies to an animal temporarily under human control but otherwise wild. Examples include animals in a cage, net, trap, temporary aquarium, or in refrigerated, drugged or tethered conditions.
Baited – The term “baited” refers to the use of live, dead, or fake food to attract a predatory bird, mammal, or reptile.
Attracted – The term “attracted” applies when using food, water, scent, audio, decoys, or any other introduced means to attract a non-predatory animal.
Additional terms I use to help viewers understand how images are digitally manipulated during post-processing:
As Shot – Nothing has been added to the original image and nothing removed. Standard digital adjustments may have been employed, such as global or selective adjustments to contrast, brightness, and saturation, as well as cropping, sharpening, dust spot removal, and noise reduction.
Cleanup – Minor elements, such as a stick, have been removed. No new elements have been added to the original image.
Manipulated – Major elements have been removed and/or new elements have been added, while maintaining the basic natural history of the scene at the time of capture. Examples of added elements include adding canvas, replacing eyes, adding wing tips.
Composite – Visual elements from separate single images were combined to create a new scene. Examples include replacing an entire background or adding a subject.
Multiple Exposures / HDR / Stitched Panoramas -The image consists of multiple single images. These may have been captured at the same location at the same time, captured in the same location at different times, or captured in different locations at different times They are merged in-camera or during post-processing. Examples include HDR, stitched panoramas, focus stacking, and multiple in-camera exposures.
Effects - An artistic filter or texture has been used to dramatically alter the appearance of all or part of the image beyond anything that could have occurred in nature.