A little bit about me:
My name is Thomas William Chadwick.
I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and lived there until I went away to college in 1968. Some of the fondest memories of my childhood are of the summers we spend at the Jersey Shore.
The island where Avalon, New Jersey is located was natural and only partly developed, and many middle class families had summer homes there. There were dunes covered with trees and plants, and there were many opportunities to experience nature.
Although I took my first photographs when I was about 7 years old, I didn't really start taking photographs seriously until about 1970, when I bought my first Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera, a Yashica TL Super with a very simple thru-the-lens metering system. Of course, it did not have auto-focus, but did have changeable lenses. During college years, I used this camera and some of my work was published in our college yearbook.
At this time, a career in photography was not planned, and I graduated in 1972 with a combined Bachelor of Science Degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (Ship Design). My decision to pursue an engineering education was always driven by my love of making things.
In 1980, I left the ship design field (a very short career), and decided to learn more about the graphic arts field. While working part-time, I took a one year full time course in graphic arts at the local county Vocational/ Technical High School. Here, among mostly teenagers, I learned offset printing and composition. I also learned on my own how to
produce silkscreen prints.
After running a printing business for a short time, designing a dream home (with the help of a log home company) and overseeing the construction of the house, I married and settled down with fellow artist and love of my life, Letty, in the southern New Jersey Pinelands community of Estell Manor, New Jersey in 1987.
In 1989, I started THE PINE HOUSE, a home based Arts and Crafts business, which was set up to allow us to market our creativity in various disciplines.
My love of photography was stimulated in 1996 when a driving trip was planned to San Francisco, California to attend my brother's wedding. Of course I couldn't go cross-country without taking photographs along the way. Thirty-five days including four in San Francisco gave me plenty of chances to point my camera towards natural areas, among other things.
My interest in wildflowers was encouraged while driving Letty to work and back during the last 4 years of her teaching career. Along the rural roads near home are many wildflowers and native plants. It was easy to stop along the way in the spring and early summer, and again in the fall to look at and photographs the plants.
When Letty retired in 2001, we started visiting and camping in National Parks, State Parks and other natural areas. In 2002, we purchased a small motor home which we enjoy travelling in, usually in the spring and early summer, and then again in the fall. The photo above shows me in the Buffalo Gap National Grassland near Badlands National Park in South Dakota in 2006.
At present time we travel at least twice a year in our small motor home, searching out areas where we can see and photograph wildflowers and view scenes of natural beauty. While the wildflower and nature photography is my passion, I enjoy woodworking and am trying to fit some of it into my schedule.
Thank you for your interest!
