The decisions that we make can lead us on the wildest of paths sometimes, so far down them that we can forget how we got there. In the summer of 2004 my college graduation robe didn’t even have wrinkles in it yet, and I was already starting a new chapter of my life with the woman that I had married two weeks after graduation.
I spent many days around the apartment looking for jobs and for something to watch on television. I had loved bicycles and cycling as a kid, but watching Lance Armstrong dance up the Alps on a bicycle in the June sun spoke to me. I had to ride. I dug out my old mountain bike, and started exploring the roads and bike trails that surrounded my home.
Desperate for a job that would keep me in town while my wife finished college, I took a part time position selling cameras and video equipment. In a story that echoes the one above, I had loved cameras since the days when I developed my own prints and negatives in high school. Now that love brought me to a place where I could learn all of the ins and outs of every camera on the market. Today, my passion for both photography and cycling is as deep as ever. Though other interests have come and gone, these two have remained a constant in my life. It wasn’t long ago that I finally found a way to combine the two.
I’ve spent the last several years traveling locally and across the country, photographing bike races, bike events, and bike people; at first for myself, but later for several industry brands. I’ve gotten to shake hands with Tour de France champions, and bury my knees in loam alongside other photographers. As someone who’s affinity for photos and bikes runs so deep, combining the two has led to some cherished opportunities photographing big events and amazing athletes. Every time that I hop in a car for a long drive, board a flight to a new destination, or just hoist my (incredibly) heavy camera bag, I’m thankful for the decisions made long ago that have led me here. If I hadn’t spent the summer watching The Tour, or gotten married when I did, who knows where I might be right now?
