Q: What advice would you give somebody starting out in the world of photography?
A: If you are serious, but work full-time, take some classes from the local community college, and then join a good photography club. I always tell new photographers that if they want to improve rapidly, they need to invest 2 to 3 weekends a month immersing themselves in photography – preferably away from their home, the phone, and TV. The second part of the equation (for a person like myself who enjoys competition) is to bring slides or prints to every competition your club has each month and try to learn something from every image critiqued.
Q: Was it difficult to get your work out there?
A: Not at all. However, because I wasn’t looking for money, I did it a little differently than most people. I have always loved projects and because my parents raised me to give back to the community, I just did a lot of volunteer photography projects (my Web site has a page about the types of things I did). Then I started being reimbursed for my volunteer photography expenses, and it grew from there. My paid jobs ALL came from this volunteer work – my job as Photo “Editor of Washington Wildlife Magazine; my contract with Washington State Tourism to photograph scenics, wildlife and people having a good time in nature; and even my book contract for Washington Nature Weekends.
Q: What is one of the most challenging "shoots" you've done?
A: Strangely enough, it was my first attempt to cover a Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition (WWRC) potential state park site for a slide show we presented to the Legislature. I knocked on the door of a rural house, explained what I wanted to the owner, and spent over a hour with him - in the rain – trying to capture every facet of his wonderful property (and him) with my camera. I had never photographed under pressure before, and it was an unqualified success.
Q: You've just published a new book. Tell us about it.
A: Washington Nature Weekends fulfills a goal I have had for a long time to publish something that shows people where and when to experience nature’s seasonal events in Washington State. Many books tell you where to take scenic hikes and walks; others tell you where to find wildlife; a few talk about wildflower locations. Rarely do they tell you exactly where AND WHEN to experience bird and whale migrations, peak wildflower blooming, wintering elk and trumpeter swans, fall color, seal pupping and osprey chicks. This book does just that, plus builds a whole weekend of nature activities around each of the 52 locations in the book.
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