Ed: Much of my life has concentrated upon the area of communication – whether it be as a teacher, writer or photographer. Communication is the basis of life. I have been a part of numerous award-winning newspapers as a staff photographer in and around Los Angeles, the San Juaquin Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Before that I was a professional in the Midwest, working for several papers, the Associated Press and United Press International. I spent the last ten years of my life with a non-profit organization.

During those years I have accrued experience at shooting everything and anything. I proudly view myself as a photojournalist – one who must be a master of all photographic trades. Each day brought new situations, new challenges and more expertise. No book learning or study for fanciful sounding titles can replace knowledge on the front lines. Photography is not about a string of letters behind your name, it is about communicating to people what is to be shared.

I have shot thousands of rolls of film, more photos than many photographers can even contemplate. I now shoot digitally to deliver the product quickly but still with high quality. I did not change to digital photography until it had reached a level that I considered satisfactory. Now, I even teach digital photography classes at Richland College.

Along the way I picked up more than my share of awards: Multiple award-winning photojournalist in California from the California Newspaper Publishers Association, including: Two separate Best Sports Photo, Best Spot News Photo, Best Feature Photo, Best Photo Essay, Best Use of Photographs in a Newspaper. I also  have awards of similar nature from the Nevada Newspaper Association.

I was raised in the Midwest and received a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Iowa State University. My roots lie in Sioux City, Iowa, where I first fell in love with photography. An opportunity in the Sierra Nevada mountain range could not be ignored and I traveled to California. I worked in the beautiful mountains until the Southland called and I ended up in the Los Angeles area. Working near the Pacific Ocean for several years provided opportunities like nothing else before.

Times changed again and I have now relocated to the Midwest. And my home base is in Clinton, Illinois.

But, no matter where I was and what I was doing I have always stressed one thing in my photography -- and that is the need for it to communicate to the viewer. It may be sad, happy, tragic or wonderful. If a photograph does not communicate to the viewer, it has no purpose.

Krystal: My wife works with me on many photo assignments, providing another eye and helping with the lighting set-ups to facilitate the speed of the shoot. She also shoots, being an accomplished photographer who is growing in her own right as a photographer. She is learning the best way possible, not by studing books but by doing photography. She has shot numerous weddings, including some as the sole photographer and provides that very important second look that any photographer needs.