Anthony Wayne was the last surviving member of the 1939 U.S. Antarctic Service Expedition. I sat with Anthony for two hours and recorded some of his memories from what became a historic voyage. He asked me to stay for dinner with him at the retirement community where he lived. I agreed and snapped this photo just before we went downstairs. He wrote me several letters in the coming weeks and thanked me for taking an interest in his story. Anthony died a few months after this photo.
Lanie Kavocevich rode out Hurricane Katrina with her father, Mike, at their home in Biloxi, Mississippi. Two days after the storm they were still in disbelief at the amount of destruction to their neighborhood. While my team member was interviewing Mike inside their home, I caught Lanie sitting on the front porch staring at rows of leveled houses.
I saw this sailboat off Zuniga Point near San Diego, California while heading into the Pacific Ocean to look for whales. There is something about boats that fascinate me. I love the blue hues in this photo and the way the flag’s red stripes pop out.
When you live near Washington, D.C., you have to have a photo of the president in your portfolio. It’s practically required. After snapping shots of him at a lectern, I caught this more candid moment of him with a supporter at the Washington Navy Yard.
A service member walks through a row of grave markers at Arlington National Cemetery the weekend before Memorial Day. Army soldiers with the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment mark each grave with a flag every year.
Seattle has one of the most beautiful public libraries in the world. Bold colors and creative spaces fill this building on Fourth Avenue. I love the light and shadows on the red floor in this photo.
As part of my effort at MOAA to capture the stories of older military members, I’ve met many incredible people. Robert Smith remains one of my favorite. Robert claims to have dropped the last bomb on Germany in World War II. At the age of 99, he still played the grand piano in his apartment with the finesse of Liberace.
For most tourists, nothing says “Seattle” like the Pike Place Market where they throw fish. And the king of this market is king salmon from the Columbia River. I like the way this photo draws the viewer’s eye right to the fish’s face.
Here, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki pauses while making a speech in Washington, D.C. This photo was taken shortly before the scandal involving the Veterans Health Administration, which prompted his resignation.
This seagull flew alongside our boat in North San Diego Bay, probably hoping we had some food to offer. We did not. But the bird did manage to pose for a photo before it gave up and flew away.
This was one of the first photos I took for the Military Officer’s Association. Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, Jr., USN (Ret) was part of a panel on military healthcare at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C.
This streetscape is from downtown San Francisco. The sidewalk takes on a much different personality after the morning rush hour and almost looks lonely when not crowed with commuters.
I had just finished shooting a video for a winery in rural Washington state and had already packed up my gear. I looked down a row of vines and could see the sun hitting this group of grapes through the leaves. By the time I dug out my camera, the light had moved. I grabbed a speedlight and worked out this shot. It remains one of my favorite photos. The grapes look like blueberries.
I passed this farmhouse on a warm autumn day while driving a rural road in Wenatchee, Washington. Many times people comment that this photo looks like a painting and they ask if it has been retouched. I’m proud to report that it’s an actual photo and has not been altered.
These large irrigation arms are a common site in rural Washington state. Most of the area is a high desert climate. This particular system was in Walla Walla. The sun was starting to set and I caught sight of this beautiful flag waving above the misting water.
Here, rancher Mike Dwyer is herding cattle in Bartlett, Nebraska. He did not enjoy being photographed but his rugged attire and dangling cigarette reminded me of the Marlboro Man.
