In 2019 I had to attend a wedding clear across the country, only one problem, I do not fly. I decided to make an adventure out of it and planned a three-week road trip to have time to explore along the way. A couple days before I was set to leave, I ended up buying a small Sony point and shoot camera so I could document what I saw along the way. Well, it did not take me long to realize how drawn I was to nature and how much I enjoyed capturing it. I knew nothing about photography, only that if I hit the button it would take a photo. As the trip progressed, I got more and more into the creative aspect of landscape photography rather than the typical snapshots one tends to take. I captured some nice images along the way and had fun exploring nature photography in the National Parks (check out my rankings of them here). However, the seed of passion had been planted.
Fast forward to the summer of 2020 when I finally picked up a Nikon 3500 DSLR camera. Despite it being extremely daunting at first, I challenged myself to learn as much as possible. Manual mode only, no auto mode for this guy. It wasn’t easy, but I have a voracious appetite for information and before long I had a basic command of the camera. With some knowledge of how to take a decent photo It wasn’t long before photography was a full-blown passion of mine and I was out adventuring every chance I got. The best thing about photography was the simple fact that it gave me a reason to get out into nature and pay attention to the details. I spent the rest of 2020 traveling around my home state of Rhode Island and surrounding states trying to challenge myself with learning as much as I could. Being from the coast, I was instantly drawn to water as a subject and to this day it remains my favorite subject to shoot. This is especially true for long exposures, of which you will find many many long exposure water images in my gallery.
Armed with my newfound passion for capturing the beauty of nature, I planned another long road trip for the summer of 2021. Having the ocean at my disposal anytime was great, however I really wanted to see more of the mountains and desert I caught a glimpse of in 2019. The mountains were calling, and I needed to answer. I outfited my 4Runner and hit the road for five weeks of photography and car camping out west. This turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. My love for nature, photography, traveling, adventure, and solitude blossomed. The peace and joy I felt while immersed in this journey was unbelievable and has fueled the desire to be in that space permanently. Since returning from that trip I dream daily of where my next adventure will be. I have spent the proceeding time traveling around New England capturing the ocean, various waterfalls, and beautiful fall foliage.
I have built upon this early passion and continued to grow as a photographer and an artist. Its funny to think that photography could be such a huge catalyst for someone. I honestly do not know if it was solely photography or the combination of that and what it exposed me to but I find myself 3 years past my first trip and I am a completely different person. My favorite subject remains water, however the desert southwest is creeping in there looking to be my favorite. I look forward to sharing, not only my photographic journey, but parts of my personal philosophy on life and how it intertwines with my passion for this art.