I am a native of southwest Missouri and have lived here most of my life. While photography and art in general has long been an interest of mine, only recently have I started selling my prints and attending shows and festivals.

Other hobbies of mine include hiking, biking, traveling, gardening, and kayaking in the river near my farm. Photography is often intertwined with whatever I am doing at the time, which is why most of my photos are nature related. I also spend a great deal of time working on restoring my great great great grandfather’s home, built in 1877.

I am a proud recipient of a bachelor of science degree in mass media from Missouri State University, and still enjoy attending as many basketball games as possible. At MSU, I studied cinematography, photography, design, and general business. After graduation I furthered my film studies at NYFA in Los Angeles where I lived for a short time before migrating back to the mid-west.

The name “Shortleaf” comes from my love of trees, one of my favorites being the Shortleaf Pine native to Missouri.