Morning Lifeline
Every morning, before Oklahoma remembers that it's August and turns the temperature up to ridiculous, I go outside.
Coffee in hand.
Miss Focus beside me, just in case.
And — perhaps most importantly — the darn phone stays behind …
Why I Finally Stopped Waiting for Perfect
I'll be honest.
When I entered this year's PPOK competition, I wasn't convinced I belonged there.
Like many photographers, I had a hundred reasons to wait. Maybe next year. Maybe after I learn one more thing. Maybe after I re-edit that image... again.
Sound familiar?
After the Shutter: Before & After
There is a common idea that photography is about capturing exactly what was standing in front of the camera.
Sometimes it is.
But that isn’t really how I see photography.
For me, making the photograph begins before I ever raise the camera.
Mission Accomplished!
Mission Accomplished!
Five images. Submitted. ✔️
Now let me tell you what really happened...
Preparing images for the PPOK Annual Competition is a whole different beast. It's like stepping into a rabbit hole where every time you think you're finished, Photoshop whispers, "Are you sure?" 😂
When Ordinary Moments Become Stories
Did you know that our brains are wired to recognize stories faster than facts?
Storytelling helped humans survive long before we had books, cameras, or social media. We naturally look for meaning …
Recharge. Reset. Realign.
Sunrise. Water. That moment when everything in you just… settles. This is where I come to remember what actually matters — and why slowing down is the most productive thing you can do.
Echoes of Fairfax OK - Maria Tallchief
I recently wandered through Fairfax, Oklahoma—a quiet town with deep roots and stories that linger in every corner. It’s a place forever tied to both the brilliance of Maria Tallchief, America's first prima ballerina, and the dark shadows cast by the Osage Reign of Terror, now etched into history through Killers of the Flower Moon.
House Wren -Tiny body, BIG personality
If you’ve ever tried to photograph a house wren, you know the struggle — they’re lightning-fast, and rarely sit still long enough to say “click.” One second they’re upside down inspecting a twig, climbing a wall … the next they’ve vanished. Catching them in the frame takes patience … and a lot of missed shots.
Learning to See Like an Artist
Sometimes photography becomes less about what’s in front of the lens and more about what lives quietly in the back of your mind.
This image is one of those moments. When I first captured it, what I saw wasn’t just a bird in the mist — it was calm, softness, and that bit of mystery that makes you want to pause. For a long time …
Forgotten Corners of Mannsville
I wasn’t planning on stopping in Mannsville. You know how it goes — a backroad drive, a cup of gas station coffee, and a camera riding shotgun like a loyal sidekick, always ready for whatever catches my eye. But there it was… a forgotten beauty standing stubbornly at the corner ….
Detective Time Pt 1
While wandering through a dusty little antique shop in Nebraska (you know the kind—where time stands still and everything smells like a mix of leather, cedar, and good stories), I stumbled upon this gem of a photo labeled simply: “Seminole.” It's an original post card …
Detective Time Pt 2 - Mystery Solved
POSTCARD MYSTERY SOLVED — Welcome to 1920s Seminole, OK!
I’ve been playing historical detective this week, squinting at old brickwork, zooming in on horse-drawn wagons, and matching fonts like a turn-of-the-century CSI — and guess what?