Hello from sunny Guam
I’ve spent nearly all of the past 28 years working in media: radio, television, photography, and web design. My primary focus has been Christian ministry, but I have also served dozens of small businesses, and taught at the university level for six years.
I met my wife, Deborah while serving as a missionary in Alaska. She and I spent 10 years there and had four of our five children in Fairbanks: Elisabeth, Hannah, Stephen, and Sarah.
Rebekah was born in Watertown, Wisconsin, where we moved in 2010 to begin work at Maranatha Baptist University.
We have lived on Guam since July of 2015, where we serve at Harvest Baptist Church. I have managed their radio station since we arrived and also served as the Communications Director for several years.
I have posted some of my latest work below. Thank you for visiting.
Commentary
Knowledge is available, if we’d only use it
Many online discussions about issues of the day could use a good dose of reality. People of integrity build their positions on a framework of knowledge.
The unfulfilled promise of algorithms
I was a social media early-adopter. I had personal accounts and ran professional campaigns from the start. I was optimistic. But algorithms have failed.
Photography
Mahogany forest floor
This particular section of the Mahogany forest in Piti is littered with snail shells. Most are sun-bleached and partially buried in the dark brown soil.
World War II historical sites
This M4 Sherman tank is one of the more photographed relics from the World War II era on Guam. I just visited the site for the first time a few months ago.
Recently fallen
The jungle floor is covered in leaf litter. I usually search for color and contrast within the various shades of brown. Yesterday I found some in Piti.
In jungle shadows
A dark section of jungle on the Sella River leads to bright, sunny Sella Bay. Its contrast makes this area beautiful and exceedingly difficult to photograph.
Rock and red dirt
In the red, eroded badlands behind Leo Palace, you'll also find this light-colored rock. The stain of the red soil is exposed when the rocks crack and break.
Waiting for the moment
I struggled to capture the beauty of this February evening at Adelup. Pressing the shutter repeatedly, I tried to freeze the gentle waves and reflected light.
Reviewing old favorites
I returned several days in a row to photograph this juvenile Yellow bittern fallen from the nest. This was my favorite image from the October 2021 session.
Sphagneticola trilobata
I found this trailing daisy wrapped tightly around a fallen tree in Umatac this afternoon. Their contrasting colors and textures quickly caught my attention.
Back on the Fonte River
This is our first time at this location since the typhoon. On our last attempt, we turned back because of rain. Downed trees have made it a difficult hike.
Favorites from 2023
While my photography plans for 2023 were interrupted by Typhoon Mawar, I still managed to capture ten images I am happy with. Thank you for taking a look.
All the ingredients
Guam's jungle is chaotic and beautiful. I'm on an endless quest to minimize the chaos, while capturing the beauty. This 2023 honorable mention almost does it.
A single bloom
Invasive and ubiquitous on Guam, I rarely photograph Chain of Love, but this fallen bloom was situated so uniquely it became a 2023 honorable mention.