I grew up in northern New Jersey, went to college in Wisconsin and went on to graduate school at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York City, getting my MA in Early Childhood Education.  I now reside in Woodstock, NY where I have been teaching at the elementary school level as a special educator, primarily teaching reading using the Orton-Gillingham, a multi-sensory, method.  I enjoy working with students, but with the stress of a regular job, having a hobby such as photography enables me to get lost in my pictures during the evenings.  It is a great way to unwind and forget about the real world for a while each day.

I have learned a lot about photography since I began using digital cameras in the past six years.  The instant feedback enables one to quickly make adjustments that let you try again and better your skills at a faster rate than with film photography.  I also view many other photographer's pictures posted on websites, critiquing and receiving critiques on my images as well. 

Digital photography has opened so many doors in artistic creativity and exploration.  I am currently on my fifth digital camera, having graduated to a Nikon digital SLR, the D 100,  D 200, and now the D 300.  I converted my D 100 into an Infared camera.  I am self-taught in Photoshop and other computer photo programs.  I submit my photos to several photo-of-the-day websites.  I have had the honor of seeing many appear as photos-of-the-day.  I have received a greater honor and thrill at having a few of my images chosen as best-of-the-month in a particular category as some sites. 

Living in Woodstock, NY, in the Mid-Hudson Valley, there are so many parks of all kinds in the vicinity that provide me with ample photo opportunities.  We have many historic mansions along the East side of the Hudson River, the Ashokan Reservoir nearby, state parks in the Catskill Mountain region as well.  The four seasons also make for changing scenes too.  Besides photography, I enjoy hiking, kayaking and gardening.  I am not much for the long cold winters here, but had more fun this year going out and looking for things to photograph.