Husband, stepdad, dad and photographer.  While he is admittedly still trying to figure out the first three, AJ’s professional photographic roots go back more than 20 years when shot for a small newspaper in the Midwest.  He soon applied this skill set to portraiture, working for a studio near Galena, IL.  After spending the next two decades of his career as a corporate trainer and director, AJ decided to pursue a career in photography, his first love. An avid nature lover and conservationist, he never completely left the world of photography, investing close to 30 years on perfecting his photographic technique. His award-winning work has been recognized by publications such as National Geographic, Popular Photography, Forbes Magazine and the National Wildlife Federation. One of his photographs went viral in 2016 with over 8 million views.

In 2017, AJ published his first book, titled “The Bald Eagle Book for Kids”, which he created to be as visually appealing to adults as it is educational for children. His second book, “The Photographer’s Guide to Bald Eagles”, was completed in 2020.  He is currently working on two additional books that are scheduled to be published in 2021.

AJ lives with his wife, Brooke, and their five children in eastern Iowa.