About Me
I’m a serious amateur photographer who shoots wildlife, nature and landscapes. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado, and heading out on a crisp early morning to one of many local natural areas is one of my favorite things to do. Spending quality time in the field, totally engaged with nature and enjoying what’s best described as the thrill of the hunt, is what helps keep me balanced.
In the last two years I’ve spent time in Grand Teton National Park (saw my first grizzly bears), Nebraska to see the sandhill crane migration, the Palouse region in eastern Washington, Tucson for spring birding, Sax-Zim Bog in Minnesota in the winter, and High Island Texas for spring migration. I attended my first Biggest Week in American Birding in northwest Ohio in May 2024 and poked around Portland, OR and the Sacramento valley for a few days in September 2024. I also spent four days in the Rio Grande Valley in November 2024.
Upcoming trips:
- Cranes in Bosque del Apache, NM
- Desert landscapes in White Sands National Park, NM
- The Space Coast Wildife & Birding Festival, FL
I started with a Cannon EOS Rebel T5 as my first “real” digital camera. I had a good time with this camera and learned a lot. Then I took a workshop in Rocky Mountain National Park in 2014 and one of the other attendees had an intriguingly smaller camera than the rest of us. He explained it was a Fuji mirrorless camera and told us all about it.
I was really interested because the camera was so tiny by comparison to the big Nikons and Canons everyone else had. It was also a lot lighter – the lenses were smaller and lighter as well. I resolved that my next camera would be a mirrorless. Eventually I made that happen and sold all my Canon gear. It was a great decision for me, I love my Fuji cameras and lenses.
I’m a member of NANPA and the Nature Photographers Network. I’m also a full-time professional web designer and developer.
Why ‘Hidden Wilds’?
Hidden Wilds evokes a sense of discovery and exploration. It reminds me that wild and beautiful aspects of nature are often hidden in plain sight and closer to home than most people might expect.
Often the photos I shoot are at the city natural areas right in town, or at state parks or wildlife areas within easy driving distance. I can be in a ‘wild’ place a few minutes from my house on an early morning before normal people are up and about. It helps me calm down, being away from work and bills and appointments where I can barely hear any traffic and only see other people that are doing the same thing I am – enjoying nature.
And the logo? I love nuthatches.
My Kit
Bodies:
- Fuji X-H2S Mirrorless
- X-T3 Mirrorless
Lenses:
- Fujinon XF 150-600 F5.6-8 R LM OIS WR (super high quality, not too heavy, internal zooming)
- Fujinon XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR (super high quality, great for wildlife)
- Fujinon XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 OIS LM WR (a great compromise between reach and weight for wildlife photography)
- Fujinon XC 50-230mmF4.5-6.7 OIS II (good quality for the price point, kit lens)
- Fujinon XC 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OIS II Lens (good quality for the price point, kit lens)
- Fujinon XF 1.4X TC WR Teleconverter
Bags:
I’m pretty picky about my bags. These are the keepers (note all backpacks have water bottle pockets).
ThinkTank Mindshift BackLight 26L – My new TARDIS – also small on the outside and big on the inside. A lovely green that doesn’t look like a photo pack, which I like for traveling. Will hold a 16″ laptop and 10″ tablet, as well as two camera bodies, my 150-600mm lens and several other lenses. Rear entry and you can open the gear compartment without taking off the bag. Comfortable when loaded with the waist belt and chest strap and good for hiking.
ThinkTank MindShift TrailScape 18L Backpack – A wonderful pack for my wildlife kit, it can hold a mirrorless body with 100-400 or 70-300 attached and 2 other lenses and supporting gear easily. Super-comfy when full. It also has space for a 13″ laptop or large tablet. Like every bag I’ve had from ThinkTank, very well built.
LowePro Flipside 300AW Backpack – a pack for 2-3 smaller lenses and one camera body.
Think Tank Photo Cable Management 20 V2.0 – a great little bag for storing chargers, cables, card readers and other small parts. One side is clear and it has a handle.
Tripods:
Three Legged Thing Punks Brian Travel Tripod – Got this in 2023 for a photo workshop in Grand Teton. It’s a lot more stable than the VEO for the same weight, and is also a lot taller at up to 73″. Holds up to 30 lbs. The legs unscrew and can be used as a monopod. 16″ when folded and comes with a nice padded bag.