Bio
(Photo of Geoff at Bunche Beach by Garth Francis)
I spent many years as a wedding and commercial photographer in Washington, DC. When I moved to SW Florida in 2004 I took up flatwater kayaking and quickly found that it was an excellent way to observe birds in their natural habitats. The more I paddled, the more I found myself fascinated by their behavior as well as their beauty. Against the advice of my insurance agent, I began taking my Canon digital SLR and telephoto zoom lens with me on kayak trips.
I began exhibiting at Florida outdoor festivals in early 2008. I also spend at least part of each summer shooting and exhibiting along the coastlines of the Northeast. (For my current schedule, check the Shows link at the top of the page.) Since 2010, I've been teaching courses in introductory and nature photography at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers. (For more information, click the Workshops link above.)
When not shooting nature, I love photographing musicians (I was the photography coordinator for Jazz on the Green, SW Florida's benefit concert for Children's Hospital, for five years), sports, and other public service events (such as the annual Lee County Reading Festival). My recent work has appeared in newspapers throughout the southeast US, in Gulfshore Life, Lee magazine, and most recently in a baseball book, Working at the Ballpark.
Gear: All of my photographs are made using Canon digital SLRs and lenses. I often use a lightweight Gitzo carbon fiber tripod equipped with a Mongoose M3.5 tripod head for my 500mm and 100-400mm zoom lenses. Photos taken from my kayak, and most of my flight shot images, are taken hand-held with the zoom lens. I optimize the images in Adobe Photoshop® to give them vibrance and "pop", then print them using archival Epson inks and paper.
Public Exhibitions
- July-August 2011: Offices of Lee County Commissioner Tammy Hall
- October 2011: Visiting Artist of the Month, Harbour View Gallery, Cape Harbour complex, Chaquita Blvd., Cape Coral, FL
- 2008: Florida Festival & Events Association, first prize, Lee County Reading Festival
- 2009: North American Nature Photography Association tier III winner (top 250 shots of 2009) for "Egret Lake" (published in NANPA's annual journal, Expressions
- 2010: First prize, photography, Venice-Nokomis Rotary Art Festival
- 2010: Second prize, 2-dimensional works, Sanibel-Captiva Lions Arts and Crafts Festival
- 2010: Second prize, Florida Birding & Fotofest: "Happy Feet"
- 2010: First prize, photography, Venice-Nokomis Rotary Art Festival
- 2011: First prize, photography, Ocean City (NJ) Boardwalk Art Festival
- 2011: First prize, photography, Wings 'n Water Wildlife Festival ("Least Tern Courtship Display")
- 2011: Award of Excellence, 2-D art category, Cape May NJ Art League festival
- 2011: "Member of the Year," peer award from artfairinsiders.com community
