I was born in Fort Worth, Texas on October 10, 1948.  In 1959 we moved from the tiny Texas town of Itasca to Brenham which at 7400 seemed a big place, being many times larger than my previous place.   After a relatively uneventful childhood as a part of great and loving family, I went on to Texas A&M University to study chemistry.  I have been a chemist for all of my working life.

I had taken pictures in High School but did not get really interested until I went on a California vacation where I learned what fun making pictures can be.  I soon got interested in the technical side of photography and set up a darkroom in my apartment bathroom.  There is a magic that happens each time you see the image you created appear in the developer bath. However since  the digital revolution I have put aside the chemical processing of images in favor of the computer. I use a Canon 20D digital SLR for my current work.

Bodybuilding has fascinated me since I was a boy.  I always admired strength because as a child I was not athletic, usually the last one chosen when we took sides for games.  And to tell the truth I was not very interested anyway, my interests lying more towards science.

I think the intense dedication the musclemen exhibit is admirable.  It is very difficult to achieve that bodybuilder look without great sacrifices; even to the point of abusing ones body unhealthily in order to look strong and healthy.  I enjoy trying to keep in shape but due to a detached retina I am unable to lift weights.  Still I am able to scout for prospective models at the gym.

My other hobbies are gardening (favorite plant Cestrum Nocturnum) and surfing the internet as well as reading mysteries.  All things scientific interest me especially astronomy and evolutionary biology.  For more physical interests I enjoy watching the great American pass time BASEBALL.   The 2005 NL Champion Houston Astros are my team with Brad Ausmus (whom I would love to photograph) as my favorite player and Roy Oswalt my favorite pitcher.  And I like boxing, a sport that is both barbaric and thrilling.  I enjoy the individualism of it.  The man is toe to toe alone in the ring with his opponent and must rely on his own skills to prevail. Though lately I have advanced to being a fan of mixed martial arts like UFC which can be seen on Spike TV. The Ultimate Fighting Championship embodies the same discipline as boxing, the same dedication to training and gutsy determination to go head to head with another man in the ring.

I take an interest in skepticism and have a strong aversion to all forms of superstition.  There is a disturbing trend of our age, and I guess many ages before now. And this is the tendency to rely on wishful thinking, to believe absurd things with no evidence, and to distrust science.  Beliefs in such nonsense as astrology, channeling, feng shui, UFOs, alien encounters, homeopathy, vast conspiracies, auras, and therapeutic touch are undermining one of our most precious human abilities: to think clearly and act with good judgment.   I include with this nonsense the strange idea that because someone is different from yourself they are somehow inferior.  In other words, racism, sexism, and intolerance of all types based on superficial differences.  For more information I suggest you visit the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Paranormal Phenomena (CSICOP)  Make a dent in the superstition and ignorance of our world.

For employment I have worked for over twenty five years as an analytical chemist for a large multinational company (Arkema Inc.) where in addition to my regular duties I administer a LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System).  I find my job intellectually rewarding.  The testing of chemicals for specifications and working to produce useful chemical products is a job that makes life better and easier for us all.