As a kid growing up around heavily wooded areas, I would spend a lot of time exploring by myself. One of the games I would play was to go deep into this vast pine swamp and to see if I could find my way back out without a compass. I never once got lost but used the sun, landmarks, and other means to navigate my way back out. As I grew older, I started to realize how I love to spend time deep in the wilderness by myself. There is something so peaceful and spiritual about being intertwined with mother nature. I love closing my eyes to hear all the different sounds that present themselves for that moment. It's incredible when you are in this state how all your senses become alive; you realize how beautiful mother nature is.

As you would expect, I was taught early on to fish and hunt. Once I turned 14 years old and received my Wisconsin Hunters Safety Certificate. It opened my world up to go camping/deer hunting in the backcountry NW of Boulder Junction, WI. The amount of wildlife I would see from Bobcats to river Otters was terrific.

I photographed my first wildlife while deer hunting north of Boulder Junction, WI, back in 1976. I had just bought a new Nikon 35mm film camera, and I wanted to try it out. That year I took a picture of my buck before I shot it. I was also able to get some photographs of Otters playing in a creek. Once I returned home and had the pictures develop, I was fascinated by these photos.

It took me a long time to fully realize that when I'm alone and far from others, I'm the happiest and at peace with the world. There is nothing more challenging than dealing with the extremes nature can confront you with, which I find the most exhilarating. Experiencing wildlife at 30 degrees below or camping in a 4 season tent when it gets down to 16 degrees below zero teaches you how insignificant you are in the grand perspective of the universe if you are not prepared.

Storytelling is the hardest but most crucial part of nature conservation photography. My goal is never to disturb wildlife but to become a part of mother nature's wildlife fabric. If I ever see signs of stress by my presence, I back off until I see them returning to a healthy state. Experiencing wildlife in its natural habitat is very special to me. The picture below captures a fantastic experience I had as a Black Bear sow with her two cubs feeding right in front of me. I had been hiking off-trail, being as quiet as possible when I spotted them grazing in a very separate bowl surrounded by high ridges. My next move was to position myself as not to disturb them. I had been there for about 30 minutes when the wind started to swirl, and she picked up my sent. As soon as that happened, she looked right at me. She studied me for a few minutes and then went back to grazing. I spent about 3 hours with them when all of a sudden she sat down and the cubs started feeding. This example shows if you are cognitive of your surroundings and demonstrate the highest respect for wildlife with a lot of patience, not only can you get that picture that can tell a beautiful story but also give you an exceptional experience.

Not only do I love the outdoors but I love to go camping year round.  I love winter camping and the challenge of dealing with not only the cold, snow, and winds but the sounds of the woods are amazing as the waves of wind gusts flow through the trees.