Welcome to Oakley’s LensPhotography, for me, didn’t begin in a studio or a classroom. It began in the marsh, on riverbanks, in quiet timber, and in the field beside a young retriever who was learning the world at the same pace I was learning a camera. Oakley has been my companion through a season of personal rebuilding, and through her I began to see the outdoors—and myself—with a different kind of clarity.
‍
Oakley’s Lens grew from that bond. What started as encouragement from my son to pick up a camera slowly opened into something much larger: a way to honor the partnership between people, their dogs, and the wild places that raise us. Her steady eyes, her patience, and the simple honesty of a working dog in her element helped me notice the small, fleeting moments worth holding onto. Friends saw it in her expression; I felt it in my own life. That quiet confidence pushed me to keep learning and to share that feeling with others.

My strength as a photographer lives in these spaces—in the rhythm of working dogs, in the outdoor lifestyles that shape us, and in the places where retrievers, fishermen, and hunters find their purpose. These were my training grounds long before I ever held a camera. As I grow creatively, I stay true to what I know best: the movement of a dog in cover, the anticipation on a boat at dawn, the silent communication between handler and companion.

This photography work is part of a bigger vision tied to field craft, guiding, and the desire to help others connect more deeply with the outdoors. Oakley’s Lens is my way of giving shape to stories that deserve to be remembered—stories of loyalty, resilience, and the lifelong partnerships that make this way of living worth passing down.If your dog is family, if the outdoors is where you feel most yourself, or if you simply want to hold onto the moments that define your journey, you’re in the right place .