ImaginationRanch Photography
"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera." -- Dorothea Lange
Photography is just something I do. It's a part of me, like breathing or sleeping or reading. I have always dabbled in creative pursuits-- writing, drawing, painting, and when I was growing up, was convinced I wanted to be an artist or a writer. But the process of growing up, and those people who are charged with getting us there, all have a way of conditioning those inborn dreams and interests right out of us. So, I got jobs, married a wonderful guy, and we spent the last 30+ years raising three great kids, and an assortment of critters as well, along the way. My watercolors and pens gave way to a camera, partly because we needed to record our family's evolution, and partly because cleaning paints and markers off of walls gets old after a few turns.
My love of the outdoors, my time spent at our kids' games and events, and my fascination with clouds, storms, and skies, all finally came together when I found myself not just shooting the life and times, but shooting a whole lot of other things that I encountered in my world. When we migrated from California to the Midwest, it was as if something clicked, and photography became an obsession. Though I regret slightly having not realized the infinite subject matter I had before me living in California, the seed had been planted long ago, and the move to Illinois had triggered germination. It hasn't been all easy-peasy. I have spent a lot of time getting in my own way, and I still have a lot of learning to do; but now I know beyond a doubt what I want to be when I grow up, and no one can convince me it's an impractical dream. I want to be a photographer. And I am.
I shoot the things I love, things I know well, and some things I know little about. I find that my camera has not only shown me a lot about the world around me, but continues to introduce me to myself. Photography is something that is always teaching me to see without the camera.
Thank you for visiting, and browsing through my work. Please visit again, as I will continue to update galleries, and post the occasional blog entry. I have a lot more creations I can't wait to share. If you are interested in my work, I am available for freelance assignments, either for photography, writing, or both. I am also happy to sell unframed prints. Just leave me a message below, or you may email me.
And if you're with NatGeo, the answer is yes.