“I wish to speak a word for Nature,” wrote Henry David Thoreau as he penned the opening for Walking from his deathbed, “for absolute freedom and wildness, as contrasted with a freedom and culture merely civil…”
I, too, wish to speak a word for Nature, to shine the light of wildness into our hearts, and to let us see more deeply and perceive more thoroughly this natural world surrounding us.
After growing up in rural southwest Michigan I joined the Marine Corps and deployed in 2006 to Fallujah, Iraq with Bravo Company 1st Battalion 24th Marines as an infantryman. Readjusting to life as a civilian was rough, and though I stayed in Michigan for almost 10 years after returning from Fallujah, it never came to feel like home again. So, in March 2017 I headed west and landed in Flagstaff. I couldn’t believe the diversity in the area: Sedona, San Francisco Peaks, Painted Desert. I knew that this area is where I belong right from the beginning. Though I call Zion National Park my home and enjoy my days exploring its mesas and canyons with my camera and journal, Grand Canyon will always be my first and most significant Nature love affair, and I visit Her often.
While Sauntering I carry with me the words of Thoreau, Emerson, and Muir; along with a memorial plate inscribed with the names of the 22 Marines we lost during our 2006 deployment.
My hope in sharing my photography and stories is to honor the Marines that I served with, and to show the ones that made it home how I found healing in Nature and in creative self expression.
Museum Acrylic Sandwich - The ultimate fine art display. A FujiFlex Crystal Archive Chromira Wet Process Print Sandwiched and bonded between 1/4" Acrylic & 1/8" Black Acrylic on the back. The edges are machined, sanded and flame polished to a crystal clear finish.
HD Metal - This process infuses dyes directly into specially coated aluminum sheets, producing vibrant prints that look great on any wall.
High quality prints can also be purchased for you to frame in your own creative way!
10% of every sale will be donated to Wounded Warrior Project