A little less than two years ago I decided to buy a camera and give photography a try. I'd quit drinking about a year prior and was in dire need of a more constructive way to spend my free time now that going to a bar after work wasn't a terribly appealing option. I ordered an a6000 and a couple lenses and set off to explore Chicago with fresh eyes. 

It's amazing the things you miss when you're not paying attention. What I immediately loved about photography was that I was noticing things about the city I'd lived in for 20 years that I'd never noticed before. The way light fell down certain streets at a certain time of day or just how beautiful a sunrise or sunset was, especially reflected off the lake or lake ice. 

My job in advertising took me on frequent business trips to New York. I didn't have much free time, but thankfully I was able to sneak in some shots here and there. It doesn't take long to find something worth shooting in New York...

I began sharing a lot of my images through social media, and my girlfriend and I were able to meet up with some incredibly talented photographers in Oahu who showed us around the island and helped us make the most of our time there. The places we saw and the experiences we had were unforgettable, and we formed friendships that meant even more.

I left the advertising world in June of 2016 and threw myself into photography, traveling and shooting as much as I possibly could and also upgrading to an a7rii. In the past year, photography has taken me from Hong Kong to Hawaii to Toronto to Cuba and given me the gift of friendships and experiences I will have with me always.