About

I'm a firefighter, fire investigator, and forensic photographer. I've been in the fire service for over 20 years. I hold a Bachelor's in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology and a Master's Degree in Forensic Science. I've been a firefighter for the city of Decatur, Illinois since 2008 and a fire investigator in the private sector since 2013. When I'm not doing fire stuff, I'm usually helping my wife, Amy, chase around our 3 young boys and Stella the dog.

I'm a photo nerd from way back. I first started shooting pictures using a fully manual 35mm SLR film camera. Using that camera, I learned to set exposure, manually focus, develop negatives and make prints in the darkroom.  Now I use the photog skills I learned to document fire scenes. 

Fire scene photography is tricky business. The poor lighting, high dynamic range, and variety of the subject matter make for challenging photographic situations. I've made it my business to learn tips, tricks, and best practices from other investigators, crime scene photographers, and forensic imaging specialists. I'm excited to share what I've learned with you!