I am the President of Arizona Birds, Sunsets, & Landscapes (dba ABSL), a sole proprietorship based in Prescott, Arizona.  I have been a resident of Prescott since 1979 and have been an avid bird enthusiast since the spring of 2001.  Throughout my teenage years in New England, I kept lists and studied the local bird species intently.  I am also a current member of the National Audubon Society and belong to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.  While identifying well over 100 species of birds each calendar year, in and around Willow Lake, I have gained much knowledge about their voices, habits, and habitats – invaluable knowledge when stalking birds for photography.

My correspondence with local bird enthusiasts and professionals includes the owner of Jay’s Bird Barn, Mr. Eric Moore, and Carl S. Tomoff, Ph.D. of Environmental Studies at Prescott College.  Additionally, I have studied and am continuing my studies of books and publications by Mr. Arthur Morris, author of The Art of Bird Photography (2003), and by Mr. John Shaw, author of The Complete Guide to Professional Field Techniques by Mr. John Shaw and The Nature Photographer’s Complete Guide to Professional Field Techniques (1984), both by this.internationally acclaimed nature photographer.

I also have a master’s degree in business management.  Until July 2006 I was a full-time faculty member of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where I was employed since 1979.  As a tenured faculty member I held the rank of Associate Professor, teaching in the College of Aviation; and I held the position of Vice Speaker of the Prescott Campus Faculty Senate from May of 1999 to April of 2005.  I often used the newly constructed Willow Lake Trail, here in Prescott, to commute to and from the ERAU Campus – a three-mile walk in each direction.  This walk did much to inspire the creation of ABSL in August of 2004.  And I continue walking this trail regularly.  Frequent use of Willow Lake Trail is invaluable for studying various lighting exposures and the striking abundance of wildlife and vistas surrounding Willow Lake.

As Arizona Birds, Sunsets, & Landscapes grows, I plan to expand my photography throughout northern Arizona and then throughout the state.

At 60 years of age I have been married for 25 years, have 11 grandchildren, have been a Born-Again Christian for 27 years, and have dedicated all of my endeavors to glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ - the Creator of all the beauty in my photographs and so much more.

Wayne Cook
January 2009