I have been a photographer for 19 years, but my story started long before that. When I was eight, my mother believed in me enough to buy me a Kodak Instamatic. She passed away, but that little camera- and her faith in me- opened up a whole world that I am still exploring. Since then, I have captured weddings and portraits, but my true love is wildlife and landscape photography. I am drawn to quiet, fleeting moments that reveal the mood of a a place, or the stillness of a wild creature at ease. For me, photography isn't just about what you see, but what you feel. This image of three pelicans at sunrise is one of those moods I was grateful to witness, and I would like to think my mother would have loved it too.