In 2006, my wife Valerie and I, and our two dogs moved from our home of fifteen years in Bucktown, a thriving neighborhood five minutes from downtown Chicago, to Star Prairie, Wisconsin, population 492. Some said “Crazy!” Maybe.

We live on four acres of mature forest bordering on a small lake and marsh, in a home built by a man with his own hands in 1978. My studio’s in an old garage previously used to restore vintage cars. Details in this vast landscape change daily. Observing these changes informs my vision.

In 2012, finding myself spending more time teaching clients how to use their newly purchased digital cameras than making the photos myself, I made a left turn and pursued a second career as a journalist. In addition to using my photography to communicate the connections I felt between people, I could use my words as well. .

Following the election in 2024, I formally retired from the newspaper business although I continue to write and photograph freelance for a few select clients. I'm focused on writing for myself and creating images I've had in the back of my mind for some time.

We live in a time of profound and deeply troubling change. I find my solace in the wind and water and woods surrounding me. I also feel a responsibility to seek the truth and defend it, to restore a sense of community guided by courage, compassion and kindness.