I'm a self-taught Canadian naturalist and wildlife photographer. Growing up on a small prairie farm in Saskatchewan sparked my interest in nature and wildlife. There my interest turned into a passion to capture on film the marvels of the natural world.

As young as 4, I'd look through wildlife magazines and photos of animals and birds in books. I'd say to myself, "I'd love to do pictures like that." I'd even skip school to scour the woods for the many birds and animals on our farmland.

My childhood obsession with wildlife eventual fed my interest in photography. I bought m...

I'm a self-taught Canadian naturalist and wildlife photographer. Growing up on a small prairie farm in Saskatchewan sparked my interest in nature and wildlife. There my interest turned into a passion to capture on film the marvels of the natural world.

As young as 4, I'd look through wildlife magazines and photos of animals and birds in books. I'd say to myself, "I'd love to do pictures like that." I'd even skip school to scour the woods for the many birds and animals on our farmland.

My childhood obsession with wildlife eventual fed my interest in photography. I bought my first camera kit from a Sears mail order catalog in 1974. It was $100, which was a lot of money back then and definitely a lot of money for a teenager. I scraped that sum together from odd jobs done for aunts, uncles, and neighbours. The camera was a 35mm Praktica LB2 SLR. It became one of the best investments of my life because it gave me the tools to pursue my long-time passion of photographing wildlife and nature.
In time, I met and married Jo and worked construction as my day job. When time allowed, Jo and I would take vacations and I always took my camera with me. Sometimes I'd take special trips for the sole purpose of photographing wildlife. I'd patiently sit in a blind overnight waiting for dawn in hopes of capturing that special subject.

Ducks Unlimited Canada had an office in Manitoba. As an amateur, I met the photo director. I showed him pictures of marsh birds and other wildlife that I had taken. He gave me some good advice about how to get better. We kept up our friendship as I became more serious about photography. Eventually, I felt I had some good stuff to show him. He bought the first image that I sold professionally for $50.

This sparked my interest in becoming a professional photographer. I kept shooting and getting better. I have now sold images to Field and Stream, Canadian Geographic, Nature's Best, National Wildlife, and many others. My photos have also been used by National Geographic Society, Parks Canada, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the Smithsonian Institute of Natural History, and more.

Bears, wolves, birds of prey—all are magnificent and I enjoy capturing them all in their natural habitat.