Native to California, I was born in Goleta where I spent most of my childhood at the beach surfing, on a skateboard, or scuba diving with my father. I became an open water certified diver at the age of 14, and obtained my advanced certification at the age of 15. Toward the end of high school my mother gave me an old Pentax camera that belonged to my grandfather. Knowing nothing of photography, I started experimenting with the camera, shooting mostly landscapes, surfing and friends. Having experienced the ocean's beauty while growing up, I longed to broaden my horizons toward a different type of natural environment. After graduating high school, I packed my Pentax and my warmest California clothes and headed east to Colorado. After living there for two years, I gained a new appreciation for an entirely different type of landscape beauty. It made a profound difference in my understanding of composition and how I captured different scenes. As amazing as the rugged mountains were, I realized my heart was more in sync with the rhythm of the ocean and returned to the Santa Barbara area to pursue my dream. In 2001, I enrolled in the Industrial/Science program at Brooks Institute of Photography. I fell in love with even more facets of the art and found myself engulfed in underwater, nature and travel photography as well. After receiving my bachelor’s degree at Brooks in 2004, I was fortunate to begin my photography career working with organizations, like NOAA, dedicated to protecting the environment as well as working in other commercial applications. Now, after completing my dive master certification, you will often times find me hovering with my Subal housing below sea level, hiking in the California wilderness, or carting around my camera gear while traveling abroad. I hope you enjoy my work as much as I enjoy sharing it with you.