Photographer + Designer + Philanthropist + Firefighter

Yes, I wear a lot of hats, though most of them are a little big on me

I work ten days a month (best job in the world) as  a full-time Maui Firefighter.  And as you can imagine, that gives me a lot of time off to do the things I love!

Trained at The Art Institute of Colorado and graduating with top honors in 2000, I started a small design company called Dragyn Studios before graduating.  Upon graduating, I spread my wings and took off with a good friend and established photographer Joshua Evert for Italy where we would spend months honing our skills in photography.

Upon returning the The United States, I quickly moved to the islands of Hawai’i where Dragyn Studios became a successful business.  While running Dragyn Studios and traveling extensively to visit many cultures around the world, I started writing a blog showcasing some of my photos from my trips.

Then a few years back, another good friend and I were having sushi and Asahi at a small Chicago-area Japanese restaurant when we hatched a plan to do more with the gifts we’ve been given.  For me, that was starting The Earth Trot Project, a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization.  It took about three years to get our status, but we are now a full-fledged charitable organization.

Our idea with it is to give back in any way we can to the cultures we visit around the world.  So, while I’m out shooting photography somewhere exotic, we can work with the locals there to help better their way of life.  Whether its as simple as donating shoes or clothing or as extravagant as building a school, we want to be able to help.

Obviously, this was a big undertaking, and by moving all our profits to The Earth Trot Project it didn’t leave me with too much income.  So I got another job.  I studied hard, learned from friends and took the Firefighter’s exam here in Maui.  I passed the test, passed the agility test and passed an interview and was offered the job.  So now, I’ve got a steady income coming from the Maui Fire Department, and I have more than enough time to dedicate to photography, design and philanthropy.

So that’s where I am today.  Working as a firefighter in Maui county, surrounded by my wife, cat and amazing family and friends.  But enough about me, what’s your story?  Hit me up, I’d love to hear from you!