What do you enjoy photographing the most?
My first love was landscape photography and that is still what I enjoy shooting the most. Landscape photography also plays such an influence in everything else I shoot, as I love blending the natural environment into all types of photography that I do. If I'm shooting summer music festivals, for example, I'm always looking at how I can include the scenery to give a sense of place as well.
Why did you choose Telluride as a home base?
Growing up in Vermont, I have always gravitated toward the mountains and when I found Telluride I immediately knew I was home. The ability to walk out my back door and access so many wild high alpine areas is unbeatable in my mind. In Telluride you are literally living within some of the most beautiful mountains in the world. Add to that an incredible community of mountain lovers, it's a place that fits my lifestyle and personality perfectly.
What are your favorite Colorado mountain destinations to photograph?
It is definitely the San Juan Mountains, which are surprisingly diverse for a single range, and I feel like I can spend my lifetime exploring and shooting them without getting bored. The mountains around Telluride are very different from the mountains around Silverton but it's just a short distance away. I love that there is always something fresh around the corner on a hike or skiing outing—it keeps things interesting and fun.
Do you have any advice for amateur photographers who would like to take a great picture of nature?
One of the oldest rules in photography still rains true when taking a simple nature photo—the rule of thirds. Try to divide your photo into three parts instead of just splitting the horizon in half, and the results will be a huge change from a simple snapshot to a good photo. This technique adds depth to the photo and makes it more three-dimensional. It's one of the easiest things to do but has such a big impact.
An example of this in landscape photography is, instead of shooting a mountain scene and placing where the sky meets the mountains right in the middle, try including some foreground in the bottom of your frame, such as wildflowers or a lake, the mountains in the middle, then the sky in the upper third.