
Not so long ago, I happened on a old letter I'd written from summer camp to my parents, asking them to please make sure to save all the Life and National Geographic magazines so I could read them when I got back home. Even as a young child, I was entranced by the power of the visual image. When I finally started taking pictures of my own, my first inclination was to bear witness to the beauty in our world, and to celebrate nature's grandeur. Sadly, the images I saw in my mind's eye did not translate to the limitations of my camera technique and the limited dynamic range of film. I also had to figure out a way to pay the bills, so Il left behind my idyllic but not very fruitful pursuit of photographic landscapes. . studied photojournalism in college, and then embarked on a career in newspaper photography, rightfully figuring this would grant me a front row seat to see and understand the people and events that shaped our lives in ways large and small.


I worked at several daily metropolitan newspapers, photographing everything from forest fires in Big Sur, California and FBI raids in Luquillo, Puerto Rico to US Army basic training, the birth of punk rock, studio portraits of numerous presidential candidates, several presidents, a whole lot of musicians and film stars, and thousands of the everyday people who make our world what it is. I especially liked roving in search of what we called "eye candy," powerful images of daily life and activity that would usually get good play in the paper. It taught me a lot about the importance of light, anticipating movement, and being in the right place at the right time. I won scores of state, regional, and national awards.





Later, I spent about a decade as a travel writer, photographing and writing about destinations from Boston to Bali. It was a good way to indulge my wanderlust. Finally, I worked at a gardening magazine, Fine Gardening, where I learned to love photographing plants and gardens, and where I learned so much about colors, contrasting shapes and textures, and the special magic of an overcast day. From there, I eventually moved on to designing gardens, and collaborating on several books about garden design. Working with plants and gardens led me back to the natural world, or at least to the idealized version of it exemplified in the very best gardens, which I came to recognize as living works of art. That re-immersion led my return to the natural world as a source of inspiration and artistic endeavor.




Along the way, I've pursued a few quixotic lifetime quests. I seek the perfect eggplant grinder, the most idyllic beach, and the most majestic mountain range. (The leading contenders, so far, are Franklin Grinder in Hartford, CT; Pangandaran on the island of Java in Indonesia; and the Dolomites in northern Italy.) The outdoors have always been home for me, and I've spent many an hour whitewater kayaking, skiing, or just walking through memorable landscapes. And finally, after a decades-long detour, I've returned to my original source of photographic inspiration: Landscapes.
Credits and clients include:
The New York Times, National Geographic World, Scientific American Explorations, Green Scenes Magazine, Connecticut Gardener, Fine Gardening, Seasons Magazine, Ebony, Stern, Taunton Press, and Mobil Oil. My work has appeared in hundreds of newspapers, dozens of magazines, and about 15 books, for two of which I served as primary photographer. I'm also in The Bruce Springsteen Story, and Best of Photojournalism 4 and 5.

