VISION
Conserving the wild animals and wild places in our world is what I care about most and photography is the tool that allows me to achieve it. By working either with conservation organizations that need high quality pictures or with magazines that have an interested readership is it possible to increase the awareness of our endangered species. My specialties include wild cat and endangered species photography. Using highly customized digital SLR camera traps and conventional photographic techniques, extensive natural history research, as well as working closely with in-the-field biologists, I cover the whole story about an animal.
PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECTS
Pumas in California
December 2023
Ongoing assignment for WCN to photograph pumas near California interstates to build awareness about roadkills with genetic isolation being a long term problem for puma populations. Using SLR camera traps to get high-resolution photos of the cats.
Asiatic Golden Cat in Indonesia
July 2023
One month Panthera assignment to photograph the Asiatic Golden cat in Indonesia using customized SLR camera traps in the Leusser Ecosystem.
Flat-headed Cats of Borneo
June 2023
One month Panthera assignment to photograph the selective forest practices of Borneo and how they can benefit wildlife, including the flat-headed cats. Photographed the cats themselves as well.
Northern Oncillas of Costa Rica
April 2023
Photographed the research efforts of Panthera biologists to determine the impact of the trans continental Highway going through prime oncilla habitat in Costa Rica’s highlands.
Northern Oncillas of Columbia
March 2023
Two week Panthera assignment photographing the impacts of South America’s second largest gold mine on the surrounding wildlife, specifically the northern tigrina.
Anti-poaching in Indonesia
September 2022
Two week Panthera assignment to follow the anti-poaching rangers of northern Sumatra as they patrolled the forests for poachers, snares, and traps.
Flat-headed Cats of Borneo
July 2022
One month Panthera assignment to photograph the conservation activities including anti-poaching rangers to protect the flat-headed cat, while using camera traps to photograph the cats themselves.
Fishing Cats of Thailand
April 2022
One month Panthera assignment to photograph the impact of industrial fishing and shrimp farms on fishing cats living in and around Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park in Thailand, including photographing the cats themselves.
Ocelots of the Pantanal
August 2021
One month Panthera assignment to photograph the research activities of biologists studying habitat use of ocelots in the northern Pantanal while using camera traps to photograph the cats themselves.
Bobcats of Washington
March 2021
Three month assignment to photograph the research efforts of Panthera bobcat biologists in Washington, while also photographing the cats in the temperate rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula.
Lions of Kafue National Park
August 2020
Three months assignment to monitor and photograph the lions of Kafue National Park in Zambia, to build a family hiearchy while building stories to create empathy for the individuals of the park.
Balkan Lynx in North Macedonia
February 2020
Assigned to photograph the world’s most endangered wild cat, the Balkan lynx. Additionally photographed the work of the Balkan lynx recovery program team and the threats the cat face.
Jaguars in Panama
December 2019
Assignment to photograph unique population of Jaguars in small wildlife corridor in Panama, along with the threats of deforestation due to agriculture, and the conservation potential through partnerships with the local indigenous people.
Pumas in Chile
November 2019
Photographed the ecotourism conservation strategy of pumas in southern Chile, in Torres del Paine National Park.
Lions and Leopards in Namibia, Zambia, and South Africa
October 2019
Panthera assignment to both photograph the wild cats while also teaching scientists about the concepts of a story, and how to do effective conservation storytelling.
Cats of Borneo in Relation to Selective Logging
July 2019
Collaborative shoot with Celina Chien to show the conservation potential of selectively logged forests and their impacts on wildlife, including the five species of wild cats found in Borneo.
Pumas in Chile
April 2019
Photographed the ecotourism conservation strategy of pumas in southern Chile, in Torres del Paine National Park.
Canada Lynx in Canada
March 2019
Spent ten days finding, stalking, and photographing Canada lynx in winter in Manitoba, Canada.
Iberian Lynx in Spain
January 2019
Photographed the most endangered species of cat in the world in its natural habitat, in southern Spain. Additionally, photographed the conservation actions to save this animal.
Black-footed Cats in South Africa
October 2018
Photographed the research and conservation activities of the Black-footed Cat Working Group as well as the cats themselves using SLR camera traps.
Anti-poaching Unit Activities for Lions and Cheetahs in Zambia
July 2018
Photographed the Panthera sponsored anti-poaching unit and it’s activities in Kafue National Park in Zambia. Also took images of the SMART training of rangers, led by Xia Stevens.
Jaguars in Panama
April 2018
Photographed the research and conservation activities of the Kaminando- habitat connectivity initiative, located in Panama.
Fishing Cats in Sri Lanka
March 2018
Photographed the research and conservation activities of the Urban Fishing Cat Project in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Catalina Island Fox Conservation
November 2017
Photographed the conservation activities of the Catalina Island Conservancy’s fox recovery project.
Lions and Cheetahs in Zambia
August 2017
Photographed the conservation activities of the Catalina Island Conservancy’s fox recovery project.
Urban Coyotes in eastern Massachusetts
June 2017
Ongoing project to photograph the different individual coyotes and their interactions with humans in a small coastal community in eastern Massachusetts, using SLR camera traps, remote triggers, and long lenses.
Pumas in Patagonia
April 2017
Photographed twelve wild pumas over the span of eight days, including two mothers and her cubs, males, a hunting female, and pumas on a kill, in the beautiful setting of Torres del Paine National Park, Chile.
Cat in Thin Air (Andean Mountain Cats in Argentina) – Phase III
March 2017
Carried out phase three of the Cat in Thin Air project, a photojournalism project showcasing the endangered Andean Mountain Cat with concrete goals to help its conservation.
Snow Leopards in Kyrgyzstan
October 2016
Spent seven weeks covering research of Panthera’s snow leopard team in the Tian Shan mountains of eastern Kyrgyzstan, as well as obtaining multiple high-resolution pictures of snow leopards via camera traps.
SFBBO Snowy Plover Banding
July 2016
Photographed the research and conservation activities of the biologists at the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO) pertaining to threatened Snowy Plovers.
Pumas of the Santa Cruz Mountains
April 2016
Ongoing project to photograph the research activities of the Santa Cruz Puma Project.
Redwood Forest Logging as Conservation Tool
February 2016
Bay Nature assignment to show how certain redwood forest logging practices can be an overall effective conservation tool.
March 2016
Carried out the second phase of the Cat in Thin Air project, a photojournalism project showcasing the endangered Andean Mountain Cat with concrete goals to help its conservation.
Jaguars feeding on Sea Turtle kills in Costa Rica
August 2015
Obtained photographs of the unique behavior of Jaguars predating and feeding on nesting Sea Turtles on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.
White-crowned Sparrows in San Francisco
July 2015
Documented the research of David Luther and Kate Gentry, who are studying how White-crowned Sparrow language changes between rural and urban birds. For use in Bay Nature magazine and their blog.
Snow Leopards in Kyrgyzstan
July 2015
Photographed the research of Panthera’s Kyrgyzstan snow leopard collaring project. Additionally, took pictures of threats and the habitat.
Cat in Thin Air (Andean Mountain Cats in Argentina and Bolivia)
April 2015
Started and carried out the first phase of the Cat in Thin Air project, a photojournalism project showcasing the endangered Andean Mountain Cat with concrete goals to help its conservation.
Pumas on their Kills in Santa Cruz, California
February 2015
Set up SLR camera traps on wild kills made by Mountain Lions in the Santa Cruz mountains of the central coast of California to obtain pictures of the pumas feeding on their prey.
Scottish Wildcats in Glen Isla
September 2014
I was responsible for obtaining pictures of Scottish Wildcats and to photograph the research being done by the principal biologist, Kerry Kilshaw, in Glen Isla, Scotland.
Badger Research in Wytham Woods
September 2014
Photographed the medical examinations by WildCRU and University of Oxford researchers of wild caught Badgers.
African Golden Cats in Uganda
June 2014
Assigned to obtain a photograph of the very elusive and extremely rarely seen African Golden Cat in Uganda. I was able to get pictures of an adult and a sub-adult male on two different occasions using customized digital SLR camera traps. Additionally, I photographed the threats the cats face, the research being done, and the conservation actions being taken to protect this wild cat.
Borneo Bay Cat
December 2013
Obtained the first high resolution photograph of the endangered Bay Cat on Borneo by using custom digital SLR camera traps. The picture and corresponding article were then circulated worldwide via LiveScience and Yahoo news, among others.
Felids of Gabon
October 2013
Captured pictures of the wild cats in Gabon using high quality camera traps as well as showing the conservation work being done there, and highlighting the threats the cats face. This has helped the outreach potential for the conservation of these cats for Panthera and the National Park Service in Gabon.
Felids of Borneo
March 2013
Helped the outreach potential of the conservation organizations WildCRU and Panthera by photographing five wild cat species found on Borneo, as well as the conservation work being done there, and highlighting the threats the cats face.
Cougars Story for Nat Geo Magazine
January 2013
Assisted National Geographic photographer Steve Winter and his assistant Drew Rush set up and adjust SLR camera traps near the Golden Gate Bridge for one day to try and obtain pictures of Mountain Lions with the city in the background. Subsequently checked the camera traps to download pictures, replace batteries, and fix any problems that occurred. (No picture from these cameras made it into the magazine).
Arabian Leopards in Oman
April 2012
Facilitated and coordinated camera trap placement and data collection for the Lord of the Green Mountains film. Additionally, took still photographs of the production and any wildlife encountered.
Cassin’s Auklets on Farallon Islands
October 2012
Documented the nesting seabirds of the Farallon Islands and the biologists conducting climate-change research for use in Bay Nature Magazine and their online blog.
Arabian Leopards in Yemen
November 2011-January 2012
Helped the outreach potential of the Foundation for the Protection of the Arabian Leopard in Yemen by capturing the biodiversity of the Hawf Protected Area, as well as the conservation work being done there, and highlighting the threats the wildlife faces there.
Endangered Species of the Central Coast of California
September 2008-July 2011
Photographed fifteen critically endangered, endangered, and threatened species in central California, their threats, and conservation work being done. Subsequently raised funds, organized, and marketed an educational exhibition, ‘Endangered Neighbors’, at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History.
Chimpanzees in Senegal
June 2008
Assisted National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting in capturing photographs of wild chimpanzees using both normal photographic techniques as well as camera traps for the feature story ‘Fongoli Chimps’ in National Geographic Magazine.
Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses on Midway Atoll
July 2007
Assisted National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting in capturing photographs of wild Albatrosses and biologists conducting tracking research for the feature article ‘Wings of the Albatross’ in National Geographic Magazine.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
Open Studios, Santa Cruz, Solo Exhibition, Fall 2012
Brown Pelicans, Santa Cruz, Group Exhibition, Summer 2012
Open Studios, Santa Cruz, Solo Exhibition, Fall 2011
Birds of a Feather, Santa Cruz County Bank, Group Exhibition, Summer 2011
Endangered Neighbors, Santa Cruz Natural History Museum, Solo Exhibition, Summer 2011
Brown Pelicans, Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Office, Solo Exhibition, Spring 2011
Los Pajaros, Pajaro Valley Arts Council, Watsonville, Group Exhibition, Summer 2010
Open Studios, Santa Cruz, Solo Exhibition, Fall 2010
Open Studios, Santa Cruz, Solo Exhibition, Fall 2009
Otter Zone, Santa Cruz Natural History Museum, Group Exhibition, Summer 2009
Portfolio, Santa Cruz Planning Department, Santa Cruz, Solo Exhibition, Spring 2009
Seabirds of Midway Atoll, Santa Cruz Water Department, Solo Exhibition, Winter 2008
Campus Wildlife, University of California, Santa Cruz, Solo Exhibition, Fall 2008
AWARDS
NANPA Emerging Photographer Award 2019
Big Picture Natural World Photography Competition 2016, Snow Leopard – Terrestrial Wildlife, Finalist
Big Picture Natural World Photography Competition 2016, Pampas Cat – Terrestrial Wildlife, Finalist
BBC Wildlife Camera-trap Photo of the Year 2014, Marbled Cat – Rare Species, Runner Up
BBC Wildlife Camera-trap Photo of the Year 2012, Spotted Genet – Animal Portraits, Highly Commended
BBC Wildlife Camera-trap Photo of the Year 2012, Bobcat – Animal Portraits, Highly Commended
PUBLISHED IN
National Geographic Kids, BBC Wildlife Magazine, Science, Defenders of Wildlife, Conservation International, The Economist, Sierra Magazine, Bay Nature, and others.
EDUCATION
BS Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California – Santa Cruz
Completed June 2007
Senior Field Studies:
– Monitoring Carrying Capacity in Southern Sea Otters along the California Coast. Supervisor: Professor Don Croll
– Behavioral Observation of Pacific Giant Salamanders. Supervisor: Professor Barry Sinervo