People often ask where the name Mulberry Creek Imagery came from. It germinated from wanting a name just a tad more creative than something like “Aaron’s Photography.” While tossing around different ideas, I focused on names that induced a feeling or a mood. Something that sounded friendly, comfortable, and inviting.

The house I grew up in had several mulberry trees outside the kitchen window. When the berries were ripe, I climbed the trees to shake the branches. The berries rained down onto old sheets lying on the ground (leaving purple stains). Mulberries make good jam and syrup for pancakes. That image came to mind when I was thinking of a name.

I chose “creek” because I liked the image it evoked. It also went well with “mulberry.” While I tend to overuse alliteration, “Mulberry Mountain,” for example, just doesn’t have the right ring to it (not to mention creating a mental image that doesn’t naturally lead one to think of photography).

My artistic interests include more than just photography, so having “photography” in the name seemed inadequate. “Imagery” covers all the areas like graphic design, writing and poetry, photo art and manipulation, restorations, and, of course, photography. Also, to me “imagery” has more feeling than simply “photography.”

My love for art goes back to when I was a child. My grandfather was a commercial artist in California. My mom is a good artist as

well and encouraged that in me (one of my favorite Christmas presents was a big art set). Enjoying the creation of beautiful images led to photography by way of a cheap instamatic camera in the mountains of Colorado one summer during my high school years.

After I joined the Army, my interest in photography grew. I began with an old, manual Argus SLR my dad got when he was in the Army. My next camera was a Canon AE-1 I bought when I was stationed in Germany. During my next tour in Germany, I managed to get a job as a photographer for an Army newspaper. Then I was hooked. I knew from then on there’d be a camera with me almost everywhere I went.

A highlight of my photography career was as an official photographer for the yachting events at the 1996 Olympics. Now that was an exciting time! Even with that, it still thrills me to find the beauty in even the most mundane places. Because the beauty is always there. Finding the beauty comes from opening your eyes, freeing your mind, and tuning in to what’s happening around you. It comes from connecting with the people I’m photographing.

I love capturing the fleeting expression and the small flourish in the midst of the larger flow of action, the larger scene. A complete story needs both the broad vista and the intricate detail.

Whether with words or images, let me tell your story.