My first trip to Yellowstone several years ago rekindled a passion for being outdoors, something that had been dormant for a few years. It also kindled an interest in wildlife and nature photography, in creatively capturing the creatures and sites I would be fortunate to see in my life.

What really pressed the last point on me was all the bad pictures I took while on that trip—of ant-sized coyotes, pitch-black bison and elk stuck right in the center of dozens of frames. What captured my imagination was not only what I recorded poorly on film, but some of the most beautiful and elusive creatures in North America, from wolves to mountain lions to a great gray owl, and the places they thrive in.

Each trip I take with my cameras, whether just down the road or to a national park, is a tireless adventure, and I'm filled with unlimited curiosity and patience. My hope is that I come as close as possible to capturing the essence of the subjects I see. This site displays the photos that I believe have done this, and I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

In the summer of 2003, I moved to Bozeman, Montana, to be closer to Yellowstone National Park and other spectacular places in the West. While back in Illinois, I volunteered for two winters with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Carnivore Tracking Program and was a Nordic ski patroller with the U.S. National Ski Patrol in Lake County, Illinois. This coming winter will be my second one as a patroller at Idaho's Harriman State Park.

Besides my interest in nature photography, I design web sites and have taught web site design. And I've been relating my experiences in Yellowstone to my family and friends through my Notes from Yellowstone. Finally, I speak informally and formally to groups about wolves and Yellowstone.