I would like to thank you on behalf of the New York City Sierra Photo Committee for your fine presentation. It was our pleasure to enjoy  your exceptionally beautiful imagery, your meaningful explanations of each image, and your philosophy of using photography as a tool, not only to connect with nature, but to express oneself as an artist. You ably demonstrated how to use a variety of tools of the camera and composition; such as high key imagery, blur and selective focus, freezing a moment with fast shutter speed, panning, wide views and intimate portraits of the landscape. Sometimes you 'broke the (so called) rules for instance, but every photograph was a work of pure art, no matter how you arrived there. You also showed us how to evolve from a 'straight image' to one that was meaningful and evocative, and bore the stamp of personal style. Your teaching method could serve as a template for photography instructors, and as for the photographs themselves;  each image was more beautiful than the next. Whether it was a portrait of a bird peeking out from a blurred dreamlike leaf haven, or a minimalist splay of a wave as elegant as a haiku, every picture was a joy to behold. You also demonstrated that one need not resort to hours behind a computer, tweaking with the digital darkroom; but by using the tools of the camera alone, you could produce imagery that was as arresting and beautiful as nature itself. One of our long time attendees commented that, more than any other lecturer we've had over the years, your imagery showed your profound love of and connection with nature. This is not faint praise, as you are being compared to speakers we've had such as Jack Dykinga, Freeman Patterson and Tony Sweet. To sum up, we appreciate you sharing your exceptional imagery, your peerless teaching style and your joy of the natural world, so evident in every one of your stunning photographs with us.