My interest in photography lies in the realm of nature and landscape. If I wasn't photographing animals, I probably would be caring for them in some manner. Wildlife of any species - be it bugs, birds dogs to elephants - will always be in my viewfinder. My other strong interest is in landscapes. I will shoot city scenes, waterfronts, wetlands, etc., but I am really in my element when I get to shoot in an area such as a U.S. national park. The wild untouched and pristine lands of the areas are truly a photographer's playground.

I have been a photographer for about seven or eight years. Still an amateur, I must say, but I do at least call myself a photographer now.

I've actually been shooting a lot longer that eight years, but not really trying to make photos then. I started shooting with a Nikon EM way back in the 1970s when I was studying herbology. I was then taking pictures of wild plants and trying to identify them when they got developed.

That is basically how I got started. As I got better, friends and family would ask if I would do a party or some other event. Then I really got the bug when I traveled and saw such beautiful places that I wanted to have and show photos of. When digital photography came along, and I started to upload, edit and print my own photos, I knew photography had a hold on me for good.

I seriously got inspired to do more with photography when I started seeing outdoor photos by such photographers as Rod Planck, John Shaw, Marc & David Muench, and the incomparable Galen Rowell. It didn't take me long to realize that photography was something that I wanted to do after seeing works by these masters.

My goals are to photograph in as many U.S. national parks as I can possibly get to, and then hopefully put together a book that will inspire other budding photographers with their art and to find their special niche also.

BetterPhoto has helped me in sticking with my goal in three ways. One is by getting feedback from other photographers who have awesome works on the site themselves. Two, by simply allowing me the opportunity to show my work on a such a reputable site such as BP, and three, by viewing other photographers' work that cover areas that I hope to visit.