I am an independent, freelance photographer.
Fourth generation Californian, I grew up enjoying the beauty of the mountains and the ocean, both had a huge impact on shaping my perception and love of the natural world. I have been fortunate to live the past 30 years in the North woods of Minnesota. I am currently spending my time between my home in Minnesota and following new pursuits and opportunities in Costa Rica.
Like many photographers, I have been drawn to the arts and photography from an early age. My love affair with photography, different cultures and adventure travel began as a child when my grandmother gave me an instamatic camera to document our summer together in Mexico City. Our time was spent visiting museums, cultural and archeological sites such as the ancient floating gardens of Xochimilco and Teotihuacán.
Teotihuacán, home to the pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, has been interpreted to mean, “Where man met the gods” or the “place of those who have the road of the gods.” Appropriately, while standing on the summit of the Pyramid of the Sun at the tender age of ten, I had a sense that this experience would be the beginning of my life’s purpose. While I did not fully grasp the concept, somehow I knew the road before me would always include travel and photography.
Over the years I have been fortunate as to travel the “road of the gods”. It has taken me beyond anything I could have imagined. My camera is no longer an instamatic disposable camera and my travels have taken me to North, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean, Europe, Japan and Africa. As an avid long distance motorcyclist, I also have been able to explore the back roads and goat trails that often lead to the edge of cultures and civilization not often seen by the average traveler. It is my desire to document, in images, the rich heritage of different cultures, indigenous dance, traditional ceremonies and customs. Documenting life off the grid is not always easy, however the rewards cannot be measured.
My passion for nature motivated me to become a Master Naturalist. Predictably, the natural world has often become the subject of my work as a photographer. The pursuit of nature, destination photography and access to Central America is behind the move to Costa Rica. I am very excited as these new directions unfold and I hope you will check back often as new images and blogs will be updated frequently.
My images have been displayed in group and solo exhibits at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Duluth Photography Institute, The Edge Gallery and the Northwoods Friends of the Arts Gallery. Summer 2012, I was privileged to be selected as the first featured artist for the Babbitt Library’s new Art Gallery.
DK~