I grew up in Sheboygan. Frisbee, skateboards, Atari, basketball. Our store, Brunettes Ace Hardware, sat on the southwest edge of town, pretty much surrounded by farmland.
I studied at UW-Platteville and got my master's in journalism at Iowa. Then I shot for Gannett, Thomson and ABC Sports, from Packers sidelines to small-town front pages. My paper in Albert Lea was the first in the world shooting 100% color.
I've taught photojournalism, web design and radio. I've worked in Uganda.
A photographer learns one thing early: people trust what they can see for themselves.
My archive is big. Parades, bars, civic life, Sheboygan and the Midwest. I photograph because I want to remember.
What I believe
- Longevity in motion.
- Everyone gets everywhere, together.
- An open city. Every word on the record, including this page.
- Grown-ups should play like kids. Nobody's too cool for a swing.
- Make Sheboygan work in winter. Cleared walks, warm stops, lit paths.
- Residents first. Make it better for the people who live here, and it gets better for visitors too.
- Positive. No blame. The point is what we build next.
Why I'm doing this
I keep asking one question: what do you offer people, and how does it make their lives better?
I photograph to remember. I archive so the pictures survive. I build so those memories become useful again. I'd like to leave things a little more open and a little better than I found them.
Is it fun? Yes. Is it a little silly? Also yes. Both can be true.
Come on in. The water's fine. Say hi →