About the Artist
August 23, 2025 my life changed. I fell down the stairs and busted myself up. I twisted up my left ankle, almost blew my knee out, tore up my other knee, and ripped a big chunk out of my toe. I was sure I had a broken ankle, torn ligaments in my knee, or possibly something worse. Well, I got the something worse. I ended up with a badly sprained ankle, a pretty badly bruised set of knees, and a blood clot in my lung. The blood clot was kind of a fluke. It should have never happened. The accident happened on a Saturday afternoon, and I ended up sitting immobile until the following Friday while I waited for the MRI results where the clot was discovered. Damn the bad luck huh? Well, I had to deal with it now and it forced me to stop and think about the things in my life that are important to me. It made me see the world from a different viewpoint.
Still to this day I couldn’t tell you why I chose to return to photography, but it has really helped my sanity and forced me to slow down, breathe, and see, well...life.
Photography became more than a hobby. It became a reason to get outside, pay attention, and find beauty in places I might have walked past before.
August 23 Media was originally set up as just a simple gallery. A way for me to share my photography, but it has grown into something more personal than that. It is something that I enjoy completely. Most photographers have specialty areas in which they choose to produce their art and many do it for the money. I do it because I enjoy it. Maybe someday I will find a set focus for mine, but for now I am content to learn my gear while shooting wildlife, landscape, pets, sports or any other form I can.
It makes me get out of the house daily. I move more, I see more, and I share more of myself with the people I love. It has taken on a life of its own and my hope is to create images that invite people to slow down, take a breath, and really see the world around them. Life has a way of moving fast, and it can change in an instant. We need to enjoy it while it is happening because we may not be here tomorrow.
I have had support from the people who stood beside me. Special thanks to my son, Chris, daughter, Cortnee, and most of all my wife Susan. They are all the foundation of my world, the reason that I do what I do. They all encouraged me, pushed me, and reminded me that I was still here for a reason.
August 23 Media is part of that reason.
My goal is simple: to create images that feel real and honest, and maybe make people feel something, and remind people to look around while they still have the chance.