The Photographer
Daniel Hawkins is a photographer based in Silver Spring, Maryland. He has a Bachelor's degree in geology and will complete a Master's degree in Secondary Education in Sping 2012. He and his wife, Amber, enjoy exploring the outdoors and especially the Hawaiian islands, both of which serve as major photographic inspirations. True to their love of nature, they have 2 dogs, a cat, several marine aquariums, dart frogs, and an extensive collection of orchids and bromeliads.
Daniel's interest in photography began as a graduate student in geology at the University of Maryland as a simple hobby to pass the time and allow him a way to document trips and interesting events. The turning point from hobby to profession came on Daniel and Amber's honeymoon when, at the National Tropical Botanical Gardens, Daniel spotted a small bromeliad hanging in a tree. "Bromeliad in Bloom"
became the first photo Daniel took in which he began to consider photography as something more than a hobby - and it was that photograph that presented him his first paycheck as a photographer. The photo still ranks as one of his favorite photographs to this day. Armed with his newfound passion and success as a photographer, Daniel left the geology graduate program a year later to dedicate more time to photography and pursue a second interest in teaching.