Introduction

Rather than list a "resume" of every accomplishment I have had or received, I would prefer you to look at my art to determine my qualifications. I do put a lot of work and pride into it, after all. I am up really early on some days, out really late some nights, and some days I do not sleep at all when I am in search of a photograph. I also spend quite a bit of time behind the keyboard in an effort to further perfect my art. I can only hope you see this dedication and pride in each of my photographs. If you truly need a list of accomplishments, feel free to reach out to me via email and I'll gladly send one over.

Oh yeah....about me. I am a forty-something. I do not know if my generation has a name. I do not have any kind of art background at all. I didn't study under any of the big names in art or photography, in fact, I am self-taught. I know...I know, it seems blasphemous. I simply picked up a camera some time ago, when my oldest son began playing sports. Even though he was 5, I knew I would need good, sharp images to send to all the college scouts and coaches ten years in the future. That's when I decided to purchase my first DSLR. I still blame my son. Soon after, I combined my love of photography with my love of the outdoors. Those two things fit together naturally.

I live in Huntsville, AL with my family that consists of a wife and 4 boys. They are all awesome. I have heard people smarter than I say you take on the personalities of people you spend a lot of time with. So either I made them awesome, or they made me

Q&A session with Cecil

What is your favourite location for taking pictures and why?

"I have a special place in my heart for Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. I love it there because it offers photography of all genres that I love. Wildlife photography & Landscape photography is spectacular there."

What is your greatest achievement in Photography?

"I hope my greatest achievement is tomorrow, next week, or next month. I say this because I don’t want to stop growing and learning. If I had to pick something up until now, I’d have to say seeing my image in a magazine is something that I still love. However, when it is on the cover of a magazine that is something very prideful for me."

What style of Photography do you specialise in most?

"I enjoy Landscape Photography the most. More specifically waterfall photography. This is why a really good filter system is so important to me. I have to have a polarizer, at minimum, to photograph water and waterfalls."

What is your favourite camera or lens and why?

"Why don’t you ask which is my favorite son, too? For me, the answer to this question depends on what and where I am shooting. If I am in the Tetons, my favorite landscape lens is going to be a 24-70mm. Whereas if I am photographing waterfalls, for instance, I prefer more of a 15mm focal length. And of course, photographing wildlife a longer 600mm focal length is what I prefer."

What is the best picture you have taken using H&Y Filters?

"My favorite image taken using an H&Y filter was probably from Diamond Beach on the Southern coast of Iceland. I used a K series CPL and 2 stop Soft GND Filter for this image. Timing is everything on these Diamond BEach shots! You have to have a longer shutter speed to capture the movement in the waves heading back out to sea while maintaining proper exposure in the sky. I used the 2 stop GND to balance the exposure and the CPL to add just a touch of density to allow for the longer shutter speed in the foreground.

Manual exposure, 1 sec, f/11, ISO 200"