About The Photographer

Early Years

My name is Dale Jr and I reside in Florida. I've lived in Central Florida my entire life. From early on, I have always been fascinated with nature and wildlife. Most young kids spend their time watching cartoons, but I spent my nights watching the Discovery Channel. Between the majestic animal migrations to a lioness brutally tackling a zebra colt to the ground. I watched in awe of the beauty and pure violence that can take place in the wild.

The Techie

As I grew, I developed a love for technology. I started building computers and programming, which then morphed into designing networks. I currently hold a job as a network engineer, and still find the time to code. It wasn't until recently that I realized what I truly enjoyed in the technology: creating elegant designs to solve complicated problems. Tens of thousands of people use these network designs everyday, yet no one realizes they are there. If they were aware of it, it wouldn't be a good network design.

Creative Passion

I wanted to create something that everyone can appreciate. Also, I started to focus on things that would produce something tangible. Instead of watching TV or playing video games, I began thinking of the best options. Time is precious and why should I waste it without anything to show for it? So I asked myself: what can I create that will outlive me?

The Photographer

This is when it hit me: photography. I believe the interest in photography has always been there. The seed was planted from my father who ran his own successful photography business while I was young. The technical aspect appealed to my problem solving side. In addition, modern digital photography relies heavily on technology which, in my career, I am very familiar. With this new found focus I purchased a camera and began creating.

The Mother of all Subjects

It wasn't long until I began to gravitate to that beautiful and violent subject from my childhood: mother nature. But nature doesn't come to you, you must immerse yourself before she shows her true self.

Luckily I live in the Sunshine State, and nature is all around us. Yet it is sad that most don't even know it is there. Remembering my boating trips with my father down the St. Johns River, I knew exactly where to capture wild Florida: the water. This led to the purchase of my most prized piece of photo gear: the kayak.

Current Day

And that brings us to today. I work as a network engineer by day, designing graceful solutions to problems no one is aware of. I am also still coding, trying to make life easier for us all. But, early Saturday morning, while everyone is sleeping off the Friday night celebration, I can be found readying the kayak for another photography adventure!

Dale Jr during a nature photography adventure!