RALPH DESSAU was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1928. In 1953, he graduated with a Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Copenhagen and received a Fulbright Fellowship, which enabled him to spend a year at Stanford University and another year at the California Institute of Technology. Upon his return to Denmark in 1955, he married Carmen, his wife of more than 58 years, and started his career in the International Petroleum Industry, which lasted for 30 years. During this time, he also wrote The Hummingbirds of Caracas and produced a movie, In Defense of the Sea. As an avid photographer, over the years, Ralph devoted his spare time to his favorite hobby: photographing hummingbirds and other wildlife.