Born and raised in the Arizona desert, Hunter's lifelong fascination with the natural world began in a landscape of notorious extremes which he credits as the inspiration for contrast and contradiction in his photography.  

As the son of two creatives - his father a trained architect and his mother an interior designer - Hunter's interest in the arts came naturally.  At the young age of six years old, his passion for travel was born when he ventured to South Africa on safari with his family.  That experience opened his eyes to the majesty of the animal kingdom and was the crux for combining his interest in the arts with wildlife and travel. By the age of 13, several of his pieces (oil and canvas paintings) were featured in the Phoenix Art Museum's exhibit for up-and-coming local talent.  

Hunter's interests didn't stop there. As well as a young artist, Hunter was also a competitive student athlete. His talents on the lacrosse field landed him numerous NCAA Division I scholarship offers, which led him to the prestigious Johns Hopkins University as a member of their storied championship program. After achieving varsity letters during each of his four undergraduate years, Hunter moved into a career in finance and business after graduation.

Never one to be pigeonholed by a single occupation or hobby, it was during his early professional years that Hunter's relationship with the arts broadened and his medium expanded from painting and sketching to photography.  At first just a harmless curiosity (perhaps his obsession with 'gear' was the gateway), photography quickly became much more of a creative outlet than Hunter ever expected.  He was hooked, and began voraciously consuming online instructionals, tutorials and reviews during each and every free moment. Soon he was armed with the tools to begin shooting his subject of intrigue: wildlife.