Light in a Box

Ireland was my first exposure to a foreign culture. The only other time I'd traveled beyond the U.S. border was into Canada. Coming from Wisconsin, a fishing trip in Canada wasn't exactly a diverse experience. So I had no idea how different life could be, Ireland would open my eyes to an entirely new way of living. There are vast differences between Ireland and the United States and perhaps I'll do a full write up of my time there soon. For now let's focus on the story behind "Knocking on Heaven's Door". I don't believe this photo would have been possible had the friary been located in the States. I chalk it up to either a different degree of respect for the general populous or an overall lack of trust. "Knocking on Heaven's Door" was captured in Muckross Abbey, part of Killarney National Park. The abbey was built in the 15th century and the burial ground surrounding it is still in use. The structure has been kept in good condition,...

4 o'clock in the morning and I'm sitting up in the bed of our hotel room in Basalt, Colorado. Sarah and I had planned on getting up early, just not this early. My phone had woken me up, but it wasn't the alarm I had set. Now I was staring at the wall trying to make sense of it all. I'd heard the words that were said, I felt the heartbreak on the other end and it paralyzed me. The only thing moving in that hotel room at 4:00am was my mind replaying the conversation, struggling to comprehend the words I'd heard. Morning found a way into our room and the wall hadn't moved, nothing had. Sarah clung to me, tears still in her eyes, I felt her warmth but beyond her the world had gone cold. A friend so dear had passed in the night. Someone I had spoken to two days before, sending good wishes, and suddenly he was gone. His battle had been unfair, his enemy was doing everything to crush him but he refused to let it win. He found ways to do what he loved, he found the st...

"Overjoyed" was taken on our second day in the Maldives. A long journey took my new wife and I halfway around the world. It took four airplanes and a boat to finally arrive at our little slice of heaven. After 20 plus hours of air travel and no real sleep in a day and a half, we were relieved to finally have a home for a few days. The jet lag hit us both hard, the adrenaline of seeing our villa was enough to get us through the day but we crashed hard after lunch and slept through the evening. The second day we were refreshed and eager to explore our island. Our massive appetites were satisfied with fresh fruit and a multicultural smorgasbord of breakfast items. We rented snorkeling equipment and my questionable swimming abilities vanished when I put my head under water and saw the reef swarming with colorful fish. The relaxing honeymoon we'd spent a year dreaming about was crushing our expectations. That evening we boarded a boat for a sunset cruise. The disbelief had...

"Days Like This" is my favorite photograph because of the memories I associate with it, "Gallows Pole", on the other hand, is my favorite because of its visual aesthetics. My obsession with textures is represented once again but it pairs nicely with my other love for organic forms while keeping within a palate of mild Earth tones. "Gallows Pole" was taken on the island of Dhangethi in the Maldives. It is one of four photographs on the website captured while walking the streets of the island village. While most of the walls that lined the streets were painted colorfully, a rare few were neutral tones. It was a rare sight and had the crop extended above the wall a garden of bright green leaves would have changed the photographs mood entirely. This photograph is one of my favorites because it was captured in a land of aquamarine waters, white sand beaches, and bright sunsets. The Maldives are full of desktop wallpaper worthy scenes but there is much mo...

"Put It On" embodies the island lifestyle. It was captured in the Maldives where Sarah and I honeymooned. After months of planning a wedding we needed an escape to a worry free land. Our time in the Maldives was everything we needed. Time moved slow, we were able to kick back and relax and let the world disappear. "Put It On" doesn't bring me back to the Maldives, it just puts me on an island. I can picture myself in a hammock in the shade listening to the waves beat the shore as the cool concoction in my hand drips sweat into the sand below. You don't need the memory of a tropical vacation to feel the warm breeze on your face when you look at this picture.

When I travel I have two goals, to see as much as possible and take every opportunity to indulge in the culture. Even traveling within the States I'm looking for the local specialty whether it be lighthouses and lobster rolls in New England, southern barbecue and Spanish Moss, or red rock and cactus with the spice and heat of the southwest, and I've always got a few micro breweries I want to check out. Sarah and I spent a week in the Maldives for our honeymoon on a luxury resort with a small island to itself. I tried 13 new kinds of fruit during our stay, and was lucky to get to explore one of the local Islands. "High Tide or Low Tide" almost remained a secret of the Maldives. During our stay we participated in a number of excursions that would allow us to expand our experience beyond the white sand beaches with turquoise ocean views. There were snorkeling tours, fishing trips, a sunset cruise and at the top of my list was the local island discovery to...

"Tryin'" was photographed in Independence Pass, a beautiful route if you're headed to Aspen. The road winds through the mountains with stunning panoramas along the way, and the colors are pretty nice in the fall. There is a stretch of highway 82 that runs along Lake Creek, whose sandy green water was my excuse to pull over multiple times. "Tryin'" captures my impression of Independence Pass. With the sun out, radio blasting out the open windows as you cruise through the mountains, it's the perfect road to live out every road trip movie montage. Just sit back, throw your hands up in your convertible and let the wind send your scarf flying. The spot that "Tryin'" was captured was just the cherry on top. I had to climb down to the river and was able to monkey around on the rocks trying to find a good place to set up. I enjoy getting off the trail, even if the road was ten yards away, it's more rewarding than following a path t...

Maroon Bells is easily the most photographed location in the state of Colorado. I can't blame people for wanting to go photograph the picturesque peaks, it's breath taking. Everyone that's ever given me advice about photography has said you need to find a way to stand out. Just a quick google search will tell you that having the iconic shot of the Maroon Bells will put you in a list with thousands of photographers. I went to the bells for the first time this fall and the scene was unbelievable. In the dead of night I found my way to the famous Maroon Lake that reflects the snow striped peaks. All along the edge of the water, shoulder to shoulder, tripod legs intermingled were photographers. The first breath of sunlight wasn't due for another hour and the number of cameras already set up told me this wasn't a rare occasion. As I walked behind every photographer in Colorado, I lost all desire to point my camera in the same direction. I couldn't stand th...

"Elizabeth" was taken at Punch Bowl Falls in Oregon. The trip to Oregon in 2016 was my first trip geared for my photography. The entire trip was planned with my camera in mind, and "Elizabeth" was from the first hike on that trip. I entered college with a dream of being a photographer. Two years after graduating I was doubting my abilities and questioning my future. The idea of spending my life doing something I loved was fading and the pressure to figure it out wasn't helping. By the time our plane touched down in Oregon I had built up some momentum. I finally had the direction I'd been looking for, a new website and now a trip with the only purpose of expanding my portfolio. Punch Bowl Falls was the first hike of the Oregon trip. Just driving into the Columbia River Gorge made me feel accomplished. For the first time in my life I had a plan and I knew I was heading in the right direction. The first leg of the hike I was wired, my eyes scanning frantica...

"Turn the Page" was captured in Marquette, Michigan. The Presque Isle Harbor Breakwater Lighthouse sits at the end of the breakwater protecting Marquette Harbor in Presque Isle Park. The park is a hotbed for activity all year round. Not far from the Northern Michigan University campus, it's an easy escape for students to enjoy the Lake Superior beaches, hiking and cliff jumping in the park. Presque Isle Park was one of the areas where I settled my adventure addictions in college. On the particular day "Turn the Page" was photographed, a wind storm had sent Lake Superior into a state of turmoil and was testing the stability of the harbor breakwall. College was a constant development of techniques for me. My photographic mind was fighting to take form, looking for a spark or pattern to guide my focus. After "Turn the Page" I would fall in love with long exposures which would then introduce me to night photography and eventually light painting. (The lig...

Every one of my photos accompanies a memory. The ones that make it to the website are more than just a place I saw or a neat composition to entice a purchase. They are passages to a moment only I can return to. For "Days Like This" the moment remains one that I often visit, and lately I've been wishing I'd never left. The photograph was taken in the middle of nowhere Ontario, from the dock on a lake with no roads leading to it and just three cabins disrupt the pristine wilderness. A sea plane delivered two rounds worth of guests for the week, a bunch of rough handed, blue collared, Midwestern fishermen and two wide eyed, naive teenagers. I spent a week in a 14 foot aluminum boat with my best friend Nate, only coming off the water to eat and sleep. Every morning our boat motor was the first to rev up and the last one to dock for the night. We spent the days reeling in endless fish while the loons bobbed nearby. Between casts we conspired dreams and spoke nonsen...

I've tried to sit down and write about Abiqua Falls a few times and have yet to find a combination of words that adequately describes it. Cliches can get the point across but Abiqua deserves something more poetic. Since I can't find the words, let's try cliches: it took my breath away, a one of a kind place, WOW! For this photograph to convey the magnitude of the falls it needs to be printed to fit a billboard. While in Oregon, Sarah and I stopped by Multnomah Falls which is 600 feet tall, 500 more than Abiqua. We stood at the base of Multnomah and I thought yeah that's a long way down. Abiqua Falls' enormity goes beyond its height. You're standing in the bottom of a basalt amphitheater with towering trees around the rim, the only sky you can see is directly above you. In the middle of it all is a roaring current of water shooting away from the basalt wall. It has a way of making you feel trapped while the sensation of complete freedom fills your body. ...