I started my photographic career in the United States Air Force while serving in the Nation's Capital. I worked under the professional guidance of Mr. Leonard K. Owens, a News Photographer whose work covering the White House and Capitol Hill earned him a lifetime achievement award by the White House Press Photographers Association. Lenny, as everyone fondly knew him, was one of the best mentors anyone could ever hope to work with. He was responsible for me gaining access to President Jimmy Carter's inauguration where I walked alongside the President for the entire parade route. My image entitled "Supreme Courting" that Lenny delivered to the President garnered a personal letter of thanks from him. That "lit the fire of desire" in me for photojournalism.

It was in Washington D.C. that I applied for and was accepted to attend the military's advanced photojournalism training program at Syracuse University. After completing the year-long program at Syracuse, I spent the next twenty-four years traveling the world telling the Air Force story to the public. I flew in combat during Operation Desert Storm and received an Air Medal for photography of the damaged oil manifolds destroyed by the Iraqis while invading Kuwait.

After the military, I worked as the Director of Operations for STUDIO CITY in Jacksonville Florida where I honed my skill in large-volume sports and event photography. STUDIO CITY was leading the industry integrating digital imaging technologies in the Youth and Sports Photography market. It was there too that I got to assist DESKTOP DARKROOM (www.desktopdarkroom.com) at the 1998 Professional Photographers of America convention in New Orleans. While there I made a commitment to earning my Certification as a Professional Photographer. I learned that PPA Certified status wasn't something you just filled out a form and sent money in for. You had to EARN this designation after passing a comprehensive written examination, have your images judged worthy by a panel of photography professionals and have your references and a credit check completed by PPA. Proudly I earned this coveted certification a year later at the 1999 PPA convention in Atlanta.