a small piece of my journey


Documenting the world around me and capturing moments in time of those I loved quickly fascinated me at an early age. My lifelong interest in photography began in the late '80s when my parents or grandfather would hand me the camera during holidays, family reunions, and vacations. I LOVED taking photos of everything. I also loved sitting around with family and friends looking at photo albums of the past or looking through dad's National Geographics. None of my family were serious photographers though, so I never had any exposure to the technical side of photography during childhood.


That general interest in photography throughout my childhood turned into a passion in my late teens (early 2000s) which soon turned into a career in my early 20's (2004). Over the past 20+ years I've been involved in various aspect of the photography industry and art worlds ranging from commercial photography, education, image research, gallery exhibition, equipment consultation and sales, fine art reproduction, conference speaker and MC, and beyond. Hope you enjoy my site and check back because there are many more updates to come.


Image by Ashlee Nobel w/ Lee Lee Arts+Design

Frequently Asked questions

FAQ

How long have you been a photographer and educator?

Overall 30+ years casual and 18+ years (2004) professional photography experience. I began teaching professionally in 2006, so at the time of writing this 16+ years experience as an educator.

I picked up the camera as a young child in the late 80s, but didn't start really learning photography as a craft and art form until 2001 upon taking a black and white film darkroom class the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (formerly the Arkansas Arts Center).

Since then I have been involved in various facets of the creative industries as well as education.

Where are you based and do you travel?

I am based out of Sherwood, Arkansas (Little Rock metro area) and have traveled to 28 states plus 11 countries outside the U.S. and counting. I love to travel for fun, adventure, experiencing other cultures, exploring natural areas, learning different perspectives of world history, viewing architecture, trying new foods, meeting new people and at times to work. Working on the road is an added bonus in life, so reach out regardless of what part of the globe you reside and let's collaborate.

Do you shoot weddings?

No, thank you.

...but I know many great wedding photographers that I can refer if you ask.

Long answer: My very first photo gig was a wedding in 2004 that I shot for $200. Ahh hahaha! That was a rude awakening in what it took to shoot a wedding. Needless to say they got what they payed for and it turned out to be a valuable lesson for me. Over the next 8-10 years I shot around 15 weddings and that was far more than enough for me to decide that shooting them just wasn't for me. Not sure why it even took that long to figure it out. Oh yeah, the $ got better. Haha!

I've got BIG TIME respect for the people that are full time wedding photographers and will leave that challenging craft/art to them. Holler if you would like a referral.

Do you have references?

Absolutely! Shoot me a message, and I can provide you with a basic resume or detailed vitae with references.

You can also see what others have to say in the testimonials section which is linked at the bottom of this page.

What type of camera do you use?

Do you ask what type of pan the chef uses? Or what type of hammer the carpenter uses? Haha, well actually I guess some curious people might. My point being, a camera is a tool used to create photographs. Any advanced and creative photographer should be able to use nearly any type of camera to produce interesting images once the camera's controls are learned.

One of my larger Adobe Lightroom catalogs has logged over 70 different cameras used over the years. I'm not really a "gear head" and have not owned anywhere close to that many cameras. My journey has allowed me to try out of lot of different gear over the years.

If you read this far and really must know, I mostly use Sony and occasionally Nikon and Fuji equipment. All the major manufacturers make great gear at this point. Success is knowing how to use the gear when the opportunity presents itself. I can help with that if needed.

Do you teach anything beyond photography?

Absolutely! Teaching and education are amongst my greatest passions. I am a lifelong student of many topics and love to share my knowledge. Beyond photography technique, I am capable and have taught a variety of topics over the years. Such as...

Professionally:
• Creativity
• Catalog archiving and organization
• Image post-processing with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and other image enhancement softwares.
• Computer usage
• Whitewater paddling - (Former, ACA Level 4 Whitewater Canoe Instructor)
• Leave No Trace ethics - (LNT Master Educator)
• Backpacking, back country travel skills, and front country camping skills (Former wilderness guide and instructor)
• Travel Tips and Safety

Informally:
• General health, wellness, mindfulness, building good habits, and meditation (18+ years of study and practice)
• How to create and give better presentation and tips on public speaking (16+ years experience)
• Disc golf (one of my favorite past times and excuses to take a walk through the woods with 22+ years of experience)
• Wild edible and foraging (basic) (12+ years of study)


I am a lifelong curious student who is eager to learn. That carries forward into my desire to become the best educator I can possibly be. It is often said, teaching is best form of self-education.

a bit more of my journey


Thanks to the encouragement of my mother, I have been involved in the creative arts since childhood through drawing, painting, photography, and other mediums. Close to graduating high school in the late 90's, my dad handed down the family's Canon AE-1 and that was the beginning of a 20-year-long and counting passion for photography. In 2005, I earned a Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of Central Arkansas. During the last couple years of college while working as the lab monitor of the UCA Art Dept's darkroom, I developed an early on desire and passion for teaching. Shortly thereafter in 2006, I began teaching classes for Bedford Camera & Video and developed several types of photography and software workshops over the next decade. Since then I have led classes and workshops for numerous private and public schools, photography organizations, businesses, camera clubs, and individuals across AR, OK, MO, MS, TN, CO, MD, UT, and NM. While I still focus on providing education in various ways being a commercial photographer has already sharpened my skills and opened new opportunities. I am filled with gratitude to be able to have this career and forever grateful to God, family, friends, mentors, students, adventure buddies, fellow creatives, clients, and anyone else who has encouraged and shown me support over the years.