I began writing in 1983 as a result of many negative
experiences with professional writers. I seemed to
always be waiting for copy and often when it arrived,
it was full of errors. One day I told myself, "I could
have written that in one morning and it would have
been correct!" I decided to try my luck the next time
I had to furnish a story to go with my photos. I more
or less bluffed my way into the field, but no-one has
figured that out yet.

My first stories were about travel-tourism and some
of the places I had visited. Doctor's Review - a leisure
magazine for doctors - has continued to be one of
publications that I contribute to. In 1992, graphic artist
Caroline Lussier and I won the Canadian Business
Press Gold Award for "Best Single Article". To date
my photos and stories have claimed 15 covers.
I have written for several photography magazines and my
pictures have appeared in many more. The "Minolta Mirror"
is Minolta's annual international gallery of photographers
using Minolta equipment. Selected portfolios of mine have
been featured on four occasions from 1978 through 1991,
more than any other photographer.

Ballooning and Fireworks are two of my great passions in
life. My aviation articles have appeared in Aviation Space,
Aeromag, the Journal of the Balloon Federation of America,
Balloon Life and (in France) Balloon Passion. They cover
everything from safety issues and historical features to tips
on taking photos,reviews of international balloon events and
humor.
 
 My intense interest in Africa carries over into my journalism.
As an associate editor I contribute articles to African Link as
well as Akwaaba, the in-flight magazine of Ghana Airways.
Subjects include African affairs, economic development,
indigenous peoples, travel & tourism, reviews of cultural
events and ecological issues. "Travel Africa" is a fairly new
magazine. I have had stories published in every issue.

In 1999, I designed, wrote and photographed a new tourism
brochure for the government of Cote d'Ivoire in West Africa - 
designed to promote their country in North America,

Script writing rounds out my activities as a "wordsmith". I
write scripts for corporate communications: - training,
marketing, public relations, personnel and trade show
videos. I also write scripts for information videos produced
by various departments of the Canadian government.
Creative writing is something I do for amusement.
Several years ago I joined a writer's group. It wasn't
the first time, but this group was different. Out of 15
people there are 3 novelists, 2 television producers,
and 4 poets. The rest of us write short stories. I did
write my first novel, but that was an experiment to
see if I could really do it. It took me three months of
obsessive behavior - sometimes 20 hours a day.
The most frustrating element was waiting for people
to return phone calls with research information that I
desperately needed, and some of the things I learned
were stranger than fiction. Did you know - that on
average, six people per year are bitten by poisonous
snakes in New York City?
 
 I also discovered that the writing is the easy part; getting published is another story.
I gave up after only four rejections.I truly admire those who can endure 60 rejections
and still have the fortitude to keep trying. So I'm sticking to short stories. I figure the
odds are better of being published. My stories tend to be based on real experiences
but like all truth they read better when sprinkled with liberal amounts of fantasy and
imagination. Did I catch that fish or did I just "borrow" it for the photo? Before you go
I invite you to visit my other pages to check out some of my photos, hobbies and
obsessions. Thanks for taking the time to visit me.