My heritage stems from a place known as the the cradle of Western Civilization and philosophy. And, I was born in a place known for the ideals of justice and liberty. In them, I have found, and kept, a spirit of curiosity, discovery, learning, adventure, humanity, and for the sea.
Hand-me-down cameras from my father, a surgeon and avid amateur photographer, led me to take an interest, then love for, making visual records of the world around me - the people and places that I love or who move me towards love. I minored in art with a concentration in photography under Arno Minkkinen at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell, MA. Taking an internship in a commercial still-life studio cemented in my mind and heart what I wanted to do with my life. That summer, I scraped up money to buy a 100-roll case of 35mm transparency film and take my cameras to Greece with me to shoot those 100 rolls.
Upon my return from Greece, I put together an exhibition of my Greek prints, and I decided to start assisting commercial photographers in the Boston area. I made a living that way for several years, while developing my own portfolio, that I started shopping around and getting work of my own for advertising agencies, design firms, editorial clients and catalogs. Then, 9/11 happened and I lost every one of my clients. Around the same time, as fate would have it, I had a spiritual awakening, which led me to enroll in seminary to study for the priesthood.
During my studies at seminary, I was hired to photograph the 63 churches of the New England Diocese of the Greek Orthodox Church for a coffee table art book, which consisted of 420 architectural and interior photographs of churches made over a 3 year period. The project was awarded the American Society of Media Photographers’ “Best of 2010” award for best photography projects of the year amongst ASMP members.
After leaving school, and coming to identify my spiritual viewpoint as agnostic, yet with a deep reverence for the ideals of the world’s faith traditions, I returned to photography, eventually teaming up with Jim Raycroft, a friend and colleague, and spent several years photographing in the marine and yachting world, where I gained tremendous experience in an environment that I love - the ocean and boats.
I have been drawn to travel since my youth. The one constant in my adult life has been photography. My career has brought me to 41 of the 50 states in the U.S., and to over 30 countries. I consider myself blessed to have had these experiences, and to do what I love, and it continues. I also have a deep love and respect for humanity, and for this amazing planet we inhabit - sea and land - and its biodiversity. For these reasons, I have turned my focus towards even more diverse experiences and subject matter, and to share my 30 years of experience in image making with would-be students of the art, science, adventure and love that is photography.