About Ryan Maurer

Since 2011 I have dedicated my life to the exploration and understanding of the wild spaces in which we live. From the ephemeral drama of erupting geysers to the eternal darkness of caves I bring along my camera, my notebook, and my experience to further my small part in man's desire to seek and interact with our world. I come from a diverse background of education. I recieved my BS in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University in 2019, I am self-taught on photography, and an amateur naturalist tutored by friends and colleagues with formal educations in the natural sciences. Photography taught me how to see things, naturalism taught me what to look for, and engineering taught me how to think with a perspective from which I can combine these tools - artistic and technical - to create a unique and diverse portfolio of photography, cartography, and writing. That portfolio is presented here for your enjoyment, interest, and benefit. My goal is to return from my experiences with the natural world to be able to share the beauty, drama, and enjoyment that our world provides. Along the way I also share what I have learned to help others on their own journies.

When I am not travelling I can be found in Edgewater, Maryland with my partner Hope Brooks, our demon child cat Spike, our turtle Squirt, and our five snakes. I work professionally as a web-developer (I made this website!) for Mindera Software, an instructor at Mathnasium, and volunteer as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mid-Atlantic Karst Conservancy.