TAKE A LOOK

A SELECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEO, DESIGN, & CREATIVE PROJECTS

SCIENCE COMMUNICATION | SOCIAL MEDIA | FILM | PHOTOGRAPHY | BRANDING

TROUT LAKE STATION

During my internship at UW–Madison’s Trout Lake Station, I created multimedia content to communicate the station’s research, people, and impact to broader audiences. My work included producing The Ripple Effect, an 8.5-minute documentary exploring the local impacts of NSF funding cuts, editing short-form videos and social media reels, photographing research and events, and developing branded content for the station’s social media platforms. I also contributed to website redesign concepts and written communications, including blog and newsletter content. Together, these projects helped translate scientific research and the station’s work into accessible, engaging stories for the public.

Logo of Trout Lake Station, which includes a fish jumping out of water, surrounded by plants, with text "Center for Limnology," "Established 1925," and "Trout Lake Station."
A researcher working on a boat late at night, insects swarm around the researcher's headlamp.
A copepod under a microscope
A copepod under a microscope
A loon swimming in calm water, showing its black head and neck with white striped markings, and black and white patterned body.
Two men wearing life jackets and camouflage clothing on a boat, with one operating the motor, on a lake with trees in the background.
A person holding a colorful fish with a green and yellow mottled pattern and orange fins, with their hands wet.

AMAZOONICO

While studying tropical conservation in Ecuador, I created a short film and photo series documenting AmaZOOnico, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Through filming and photography, I documented the animals, people, and environments that define the center, building a visual story around its work in wildlife care and conservation. This project combined field-based visual storytelling with my interests in wildlife, documentary filmmaking, and communicating conservation beyond traditional scientific audiences.

VIDEO PRODUCTION | WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY | CONSERVATION STORYTELLING

A yellow-bellied spide monkey sitting on a tree branch surrounded by green leaves in a jungle.
A variety of jungle leaves, some are light green, red, and dark green.
Two squirrel monkeys with gray and white fur climbing on tree branches in a lush, green forest canopy.
A spider monkey climbing a tree in a lush green forest with sunlight filtering through the leaves.
An ocelot walking through a green forest, looking at the ground.

ENDANGERED SPECIES CONSERVATION - KENYA

VIDEO | PHOTOGRAPHY | FIELD RESEARCH | RESEARCH COMMUNICATION

As part of an eight-person research team in Kenya, I contributed to a research project investigating human–hyena coexistence and the challenges of carnivore conservation. My work spanned field research, photography, documentary production, and community engagement. I participated in interviews with hundreds of community members, working through translators to help document local perspectives, and contributed to a short documentary covering the challenges of hyena research and conservation. Our research was also synthesized and presented to community members, conservation leaders, NGOs, and government officials. The experience strengthened my ability to work across research, storytelling, and community-focused conservation communication.

A close-up of a young hyena with a brown coat and dark eyes, standing in a grassy area.
A landscape scene with green grass, large rocky formations at the bottom, and scattered bushes and trees. The sky above is bright blue with large fluffy white clouds.
A hyena lying on grass with one eye slightly closed, relaxed in a grassy area.
Steven is giving a presentation on human-hyena conflict research to a room of locals in Kenya.
A group of people standing on rocky terrain outdoors under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

My photography is rooted in a curiosity about wildlife, ecosystems, and the details of the natural world. Through fieldwork, travel, and personal projects, I photograph animals, landscapes, and the people and places connected to them. While wildlife and nature are my primary interests, I also enjoy photographing a broader range of subjects and adapting my approach to the needs of a project. Whether documenting a field research project, capturing a sense of place, or creating images for a brand or organization, I use photography to tell stories and help people see subjects from a different perspective.

WILDLIFE | LANDSCAPES | NATURE | DOCUMENTARY & FIELD

PHOTOGRAPHY

A black tern with black head and white body flying against a clear blue sky, with wings spread wide.
Close-up of an eastern screech owl perched in a tree cavity. It blends in well with the background.
A red eyed vireo perched on a thin tree branch among green leaves, singing with its beak open.
A tree swallow with blue, black, and white feathers perched on a lichen-covered tree branch.
A beeeater perched on a wire against a clear blue sky.
A monkey sitting on a corrugated metal roof with a grassy field and blue sky in the background.
Close-up of a pigeon with a pink ringed eye, white head, and brown and gray feathered body against a dark background.
A greater prairie chicken standing among dry grasses and plants in a natural outdoor setting.
A close-up of a lioness with a golden coat, walking through tall grass with her eyes closed. Her jaw is injured and hanging lower than it should.
Two wildebeests butting heads in a grassy plain in an open savannah, with rocky terrain and a solitary tree in the distance.
A jackal with a dirty face licking its lips
Two oxpeckers with brightly colored beaks are perched on the back of a buffalo.
A herd of animals in a grassy field. One in front scratches its ear with its hoof.
Close up of the side of a buffalo, its skin is rough and scarred. An oxpecker is picking bugs from behind its ear.
A lion lying on the grass with her eyes open, surrounded by green grass and small insects flying nearby.
Two marabou storks are perched in a field. They have gnarly looking heads and puffy feathers around their head like a feather boa.
A monkey with gray and white fur sitting on the ground, holding a baby monkey. The background is green with blurred foliage.
A gorilla snacking on leaves, staring at the camera through branches.
Mountain gorilla mother holds its baby securely while sitting in lush leaves.
A young mountain gorilla lying on its back in lush green leaves smiles a carefree smile into the camera
Close-up of a cheetah resting with a blue sky in the background.
A young cheetah cub sitting among tall green grass with another cheetah cub in the background in a natural habitat.
A cormorant perched on a fallen log with its wings spread out at a spring in Tsavo National Park
A monkey perched in a tree with its leg completely outstretched so its foot is by its head, it is grooming its foot.
An elephant walking through a grassy landscape with scattered trees in the background.
An albino deer with large ears standing on green grass in a forested area.
A black tern perched on its nest which is made up of floating plants and lily pads in a wetland.
A sandhill crane is walking through a wetland with dreamy lighting.
An American Bittern is perched with its neck feathers flared in a reedy wetland
A snow-covered pine tree branch with a blue jay perched on it against a clear blue sky.

VIVARIA & HABITAT DESIGN

I design and build naturalistic environments that combine creative design with an interest in ecology, plants, and animal care. My projects range from planted aquariums to bioactive terrariums, incorporating hardscape, planting, substrate, and habitat features to create cohesive living environments. I enjoy the process as much as the finished result, experimenting with materials, arranging natural elements, and documenting how each environment develops. These projects reflect my interest in the intersection of ecological knowledge, hands-on making, and the design of spaces that connect people with the natural world. I’ve redesigned enclosures for educational ambassador animals, improving animal welfare as well as educational capacity of the exhibits (pictured below).

TERRARIUMS | AQUARIUMS | NATURALISTIC DESIGN

The before image of a reconstruction of a terrarium for two box turtles. The tank is dimly lit and not well constructed.
An in progress image of the box turtle terrarium. Expanding spray foam is sprayed on the back of the terrarium.
Finished terrarium with lights, live plants, rocks, logs, and a naturalistic background.
A box turtle partially hidden among leaves, twigs, and dirt in the updated terrarium.
The before image of a reconstruction of a tiger salamander terrarium. The tank is dimly lit and there is not much to see inside of the enclosure.
The updated tiger salamander enclosure. It is well lit, there is deep soil, a shallow water pool with a waterfall, live plants, and leaf litter.
A tiger salamander partially submerged in water among green floating plants in the new terrarium.
Close-up of the environment inside the terrarium. There are live plants, mosses, logs, and leaves.
A glass display case with broken foam and foam fragments inside and outside. The case is shattered with cracks and missing pieces, and some foam pieces are on a white cloth underneath.
A glass terrarium with a custom foam background that looks like rusty red rocks with sticks and lighting.
A naturalistic terrarium with a custom foam background, leaf litter, deep substrate, and good lighting.
A corn snake with orange and black markings is coiled on a rock inside a terrarium with leafy green plants and branches, against a background of rocks and sand.
Close-up of a corn snake with orange and black patterns, curled on a rocky perch inside the terrarium under a heat lamp.
A blue poison dart frog nestled among fallen leaves inside a terrarium.
A terrarium with lush green plants and moss, enclosed by glass, with a light source at the top.
Close-up view of a lush green terrarium with various small plants, ferns, and mosses, surrounded by dark soil and pieces of wood.
A terrarium with various green plants and moss, enclosed in a glass and black frame.
An aquarium in the process of being scaped with large pieces of driftwood and rocks inside.
A 20-gallon aquarium filled with water, aquatic plants, rocks, and sand substrate, viewed from the front.
Underwater scene of a freshwater aquarium with green aquatic plants and small fish swimming among rocks and driftwood.
Close-up of a small a mourning gecko inside of a terrarium perched on a bromeliad.
Close-up of small green and purple succulent plants growing in rocky soil.

PERSONAL PROJECTS

EXPERIMENTAL VIDEO | VISUAL STORYTELLING | CREATIVE EXPLORATION

These are fun videos that I make as I experiment with different gear.