Updates / Blog

Follow my latest “hunting” adventures, additions to the galleries and updates.

November 2024: Wildfires come to Pennsylvania

As I’ve mentioned in my bio, one of my passions in addition to photography is firefighting and rescue work (that’s me on the right). It comes in waves and for the wildfire side of things, it’s been pretty quiet on the east coast for a few years. That changed this month when the fall fire season, which occurs when leaves drop, sunlight can reach the forest floor, and the right conditions of dryness and wind combine to create ideal fire conditions, exploded. October was the first rainless month recorded in Philadelphia history, and this complete dryness, which has continued into November, has led to an explosive fall fire season, with brush fires popping up all over the state. I ended up on multiple fires with my crew, the biggest being the 600+ acre Gap fire on Blue Mountain in Lehigh township. It was quite the blaze, and while I didn’t bring my Nikon, I couldn’t help but snap a few photos while on the fire line. Yes, these were taken with an iPhone and yes, this is an exception as every other image on this site was taken with better gear, but given the circumstances, and how these images came out, I wanted to share them with you all because they are, in my opinion, very powerful. Nature is raw, uncontrollable, and can be life altering, and while the fires are destructive, they contain within them a measure of beauty. I hope you enjoy. You can find the full size images in my landscape gallery, and small samples below as well.

October 2024: Aurora Borealis comes to Pennsylvania

This fall has been a slow time for photography with work and life commitments. I was able to get out once for a quiet morning about an hour from my house at a local park, where I captured a few autumn images of some white-tailed deer. But the highlight of the last 2 months, and possibly the year, came the evening of October 10th. The conditions lined up perfectly for the aurora borealis to be visible again in Pennsylvania. An enormous coronal mass ejection event on the sun sent plasma hurtling through space towards our planet, which, when interacting with earth’s magnetic field, produced the visible aurora as far south as Texas. Those following it may recall that an event of this magnitude occurred in May, but unfortunately the skies were overcast and I wasn’t able to get any images near my home in Pennsylvania. This time, it was different. It was so widespread that you may even be sick of seeing everyone’s aurora photos, but I will never get tired of looking at these. This is a bucket list item for me. I’ve wanted to see the aurora my entire life and hoped to one day be lucky enough to travel to Alaska, or Iceland, or somewhere where if you’re lucky and timing is right, you can see it. I never imagined I’d be able to add aurora images to my portfolio quite literally 10 minutes from my house. But here we are. After a tip from a friend, I researched north-facing locations with clear, natural views and landed on the perfect spot - where I headed at midnight. I haven’t regret the lost sleep for a second, and I hope you enjoy these images as much as I do, even if you’ve seen hundreds of others already. The complete images are in the Landscape gallery.

August 2024: Colorado

Summer 2024 Hummingbird Nest

I’m excited to share images from a very rare opportunity from this past summer - a hummingbird nest. While “once in a lifetime” may be an exaggeration, finding one of these nests is extremely difficult and it’s even more unlikely to be able to shoot one at eye level. I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity to capture these images and share them with you. You’ll see a tiny nest, roughly the size of a quarter - with the mother and two tiny babies which grew staggeringly fast and were all but gone in 3 weeks. You can find these images in my Song & Other Birds gallery, with a few below as well.

Summer Photo Gallery

I’m happy to share that my work is on display for the month of August in a gallery room at a local music and art shop, The Crossroads: Guitars & Art. The Crossroads is an awesome space specializing in musical instrument sales, lessons and promotion of creative arts. My photography will be available to view and purchase until the end of this month in the gallery within the shop, which is located at 1041 E. Philadelphia Ave. in Gilbertsville, PA.

We held a gallery opening event Sunday, August 4th, and had a great turnout, but if you’re local, missed the event and still want to stop by, I’d love you to check it out and to hear what you think. Thanks to everyone who came out to support and also the many who purchased prints. I’m honored by your support of my work.

Update at conclusion of gallery:

Thank you again to everyone for your support and purchases. The month was a success and I hope to have more events in the future selling in person. I will keep updates on those potential events coming. Also, true to my word, I’ve donated 10% of my profits to Natural Lands, my favorite local, open space conservation organizations.

Thanks for supporting local art, conservation, and wildlife awareness.

June 2024: Vancouver Island

Spring 2024 fox den

When all else fails, shoot a fox den, right? That’s how the spring has gone. I haven’t had any luck in the few times I’m attempted to go out with the camera, but did manage to have one morning of success at a local den I’ve had the pleasure of shooting for a few years thanks to a wonderful local family who doesn’t mind the lunatic in camo on their property at 5 am. While I only had one morning and a few hours with this group of 5 kits, I was able to capture some images with nice subject & foreground/background separation. Watching the kits interact, play, explore and react to their surroundings (like ducking and running back into the den when vultures flew overhead) is always a pleasure. I’ve uploaded my favorite images from the morning to the top of the newest images gallery and bottom of the small mammals gallery, and added a few in the preview below.

2023 Monochrome Photography Awards

I was happy to have my black vulture image below win an honorable mention in this year’s Monochrome Awards in the amateur wildlife category. I only enter a handful of contests and understand the level of expertise and talent I’m usually up against, so even though this image didn’t place, it was nice to receive an honorable mention. I created this image purposely underexposed, and let the sun from daybreak reflect off of the bird - highlighting it just enough to allow for the rest of the image to be the appropriate level of darkness while still retaining subject detail. The icing on the cake was when the vulture activated it's nictitating membrane, covering it's eye in a ghoulish, translucent layer, adding to both the mystery and dark feel of the image. I’m honored to have it recognized.

Welcome to 2024

Late Spring - foxes and kits

It’s late spring with summer fast approaching, and I’m happy to report that I’ve been lucky enough to have multiple fox encounters in both my own back yard and a local resident who has been kind enough to allow me onto his property to shoot a den in his yard. As in years past, shooting fox dens is one of the highlights of my spring and I’ve been fortunate enough to get some excellent images this year, both backlit and up close of kits and multiple adults. Shooting the fox in my backyard was a highlight since I’ve seen this animal for a few years now, and have never gotten the opportunity to get a good image. But I was able to sneak around the corner of my house (laying on my stomach, pushing my 600mm on the ground in front of me) and fire off multiple shots without it even knowing I was there. A sample of some of these new fox images is below, and my favorites have been added to the small mammals and newest galleries.

Spring 2023 - San Diego, California

Early spring this year brought the opportunity to shoot in and around the San Diego and southern California area for a few short days. My original plans in the area were foiled due to weather, but I was able to pivot and create some images I’m really proud of with the local fauna. Even shooting small California ground squirrels was rewarding. A lot of the images I captured were with the backdrop of the pacific ocean, which I haven’t spent too much time around, which made it extra enjoyable. Nesting season for brandt’s Cormorants afforded me an excellent opportunity to photograph chicks and unique behavior. In addition to the cormorants, I was able to shoot a pair of peregrine falcons along the cliffs of the pacific ocean - a bird I’ve only previous shot on the east coast. The incredible backdrop of the ocean made for some great opportunities to shoot with unique colors and textures in the background. I also shot sea lions up close and in the light of the full moon. These images are all in the newest gallery, along with the raptors, rodents and pinnipeds galleries as well as a few in the preview gallery below.

Late Winter 2023 - Wood Ducks

I haven’t had much of an opportunity to get out and shoot over the winter. Life has been extremely busy and other commitments have necessitated less time behind the lens. I did, however, take a few hours one early March morning to drive to a local spot I’ve photographed before to shoot wood ducks. One of the most colorful and beautiful ducks on the planet, we’re lucky to have them locally here in eastern PA. I arrived at the location early, a spot which I’ve shot before, to find the creek running high from a storm the prior evening. I’ve never shot in the conditions I found the creek in and didn’t even immediately find any waterfowl other than Canada geese. I almost gave up, but decided to get my waders on, get into the creek and wait. The wait paid off as the geese swam over, expecting food, and were soon followed by other waterfowl - including multiple male wood ducks. I had a great session with them and came away with some frames I’m very happy with. You’ll find the newest in the newest images gallery and waterfowl galleries, with a preview below as usual.

October 2022 - Orlando, FL

September 2022: Denver - bighorns and bucks

Summer 2022: Shorebirds and vultures

June 2022: Knight Inlet & Grizzly Bears

Spring 2022: Foxes & kits

November 2021: Southern California

As the return to travel continued in late 2021, I was able to spend a little bit of time in southern California. I visited a few hotspots for sea lions and seals and in a short time was able to get some shots I’m very happy with. I was able to use these images to launch another brand new gallery: Pinnipeds - seals & sea lions. “Pinnipeds” is the term for semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals with flippers.

I was able to also get a lot of great images of pelicans and Brandt’s Cormorants as well, including some unique breeding behavior. Those images are added to the Ocean & Shore and Diving Birds galleries, respectively.

Late October 2021: The American West

Early October 2021: The second moose hunt

This past October allowed me to take a couple of days off to take another trip up to Maine in search of moose, this time with a few friends instead of solo - which made it a lot more fun. We had 3 good days of searching (and a LOT of driving, both to get there and during the hunt) and while we didn’t see a TON of moose, it felt worth it for a few good encounters we did have. I didn’t come away with the amount of images I did the previous year, but still got a few “keepers” you can see below and in the cervids gallery and landscape gallery.

August 2021: Dawn at the shore, macro work and a rare visitor

Summer 2021: Shorebird nestlings and more

Spring 2021: Foxes, eagles, and a Florida trip

Spring 2021 has been kind to me from a photography perspective. My favorite of the 4 seasons, spring offers a ton of great wildlife opportunities - especially for new life. This year, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to photograph another fox den. Watching fox kits explore their world, run and play together will never get old.

Additionally, since bald eagles reuse nests from year to year, I was able to visit a local nest from last year and again photograph these majestic birds. A family trip to Florida afforded me a few quick mornings out with the glass, and I came away with some favorites. overall I’m thrilled with some of the images I’ve been able to add to my gallery so far this year.

You’ll find all of these images in the 2021 gallery, along with the other galleries by animal. Some sample images are below as well.

Winter 2020-21: Elk, raptors, sandhill cranes and snowstorms

The winter of 2020-2021 has brought with it more snow that we’ve been used to in the northeast for years. This always presents unique opportunities to get out and shoot. With the help of some really good cold weather gear (if you don’t have them, I can’t recommend heated socks enough), I’ve spent a solid amount of time outside with the camera. My favorite was a road trip to go see the elk in the snow - and while I didn’t find the bulls I was looking for, I still came home with some pretty good images. I’ve also shot some local sandhill cranes who seem to arrive in the same location in eastern PA during their migration each year. They hang out for a few weeks before continuing on their way. These images, along with some whitetail deer and other small backyard songbirds, can be found in their respective galleries, along with the sample images below.

You can also find these images in the newly launched “Newest images” gallery to showcase my latest images for 2021, to make it easier to find new additions to the website without searching through the individual galleries to find the latest. I hope this helps with usability.

Stay warm!

Fall 2020: Eagles, waterfowl, and deer

October 2020: Search for Maine moose

September 2020: Pennsylvania elk

August 2020: North Carolina

Taking advantage of some spare time off at work I needed to burn, I took a long weekend road trip down to North Carolina to photograph the many black bears that call the state home. The trip did NOT disappoint. I shot over 1,500 images and got enough good photos of bear that I was able to launch a brand new gallery. I couldn’t have been happier with how it went and some of the awesome encounters I had. I spent a little time out at the Outer Banks as well and in addition to the bears, added photos to the owl and reptile gallery due to encounters with an incredibly cooperative barred owl and many reptiles in the area. I’m already thinking about a return trip. A group of sample shots from the weekend are below. Hope you enjoy.

July 2020: Cape May & New Jersey Shore

Spring 2020: Fox kits, great horned owls, and eagles

Snow goose migration - Pennsylvania, February 2020

I’m fortunate enough to live only about an hour from a place called Middle Creek Wildlife management area in Eastern Pennsylvania. Each February, tens of thousands of snow geese stop at the lake on their migration back north. At peak, there can be over 100,000 geese on the lake and surrounding fields. I was lucky enough to be able to visit for 2 days this year with the perfect timing - when there were over 100,000 geese present. The noise of the flock waking up at sunrise and taking flight together is simply an incredible experience, and I brought my wife and kid back the next day to experience it. While it gets crazy crowded, if you’re near enough to time it right and pay the area a visit, I highly recommend it. Below are a few photos from the morning and evening spent there, with the rest found in the waterfowl gallery.

Burrowing owls, osprey & the Everglades - Florida, February 2020

Peregrine Falcons in New Jersey - December 2019

Colorado & Rocky Mountain National Park - October 2019

I was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to spend 2 days in my favorite state - Colorado - at the end of October with the Nikon slung over my shoulder. I made the most of it, squeezing in plenty of snowy hiking and “hunting” in just 48 hours. Starting my first day early in Rocky Mountain National park, I came up empty in the wildlife department but snagged some pretty stunning landscape shots thanks to an early wake up to catch a beautiful sunrise in the park. Later in the afternoon, on my 6th attempt (I came up empty the previous 5 times during other trips to Colorado) I had the highlight of the trip and was lucky enough to cross paths with 8 bighorn sheep rams. I spent about an hour with them, and got a bunch of shots I’m very happy with. I concluded the trip with some snowy whitetail and mule deer shots - which, while not nearly as exciting as the rams, made for a great “haul” overall. Below are a few of the shots, and the rest can be found in my galleries - particularly the landscape and large mammal galleries.

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge - October 2019

They say a good photographer is never without his camera, and this outing is a perfect example of that. I had a surprise bachelor party thrown for me down in Delaware, and I’d be lying to you if I told you I didn’t take these sanderling and black-bellied plover photos hungover on the last morning of the weekend. Having been warned to bring my equipment “just in case” I decided to take advantage of the location and get a little fresh air and quiet time.

My short walk from the wildlife refuge to Broadkill Beach was rewarded by the company of many shorebirds in the early morning light. I didn’t spend too much time there, but enough to get a handful of shots of these little birds doing their thing. The full compliment of photos from the morning have been added to the ocean and shore gallery.

Benezette Elk Trip - September 2019

On September 25th and 26th, I took a small road trip and spent a few days out in Benezette, PA, for the elk rut. For those not familiar, Benezette is located in West-Central PA and is in the middle of “PA Elk country” - the home to the only wild elk population in the northeastern US.

Once plentiful across the continent, elk were extirpated from most of the country east of the Mississippi, only to be reintroduced to PA decades ago. A small herd of around 1,000 animals thrives in the Benezette area, and the best time to visit them is in the fall during the mating season, or “the rut” - when bull elk are extremely active and can be heard calling or “bugling” for miles.

I had two very productive days hiking and “hunting”, meeting up with Harry Collins and a few other excellent local photographers. I snagged a few good shots, including a couple of creek crossings and close encounters. Some of these shots are highlighted below and all of them can now be found in the gallery as well.

While a return trip this fall may not be in the cards, I’m considering a run up over the winter for a few days. If you love mega-fauna, this area is incredible and will keep you coming back.