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This is a busy world. Amongst the mountains and planes, coastlines and deserts, nearly seven billion people vie for ever-decreasing space. At home in vast cities people live at an increasingly rapid pace. Communication is instantaneous. Images and video from around the world can be viewed anytime, anywhere. News and information are now consumables. Contemplation and introspection have, in many ways, fallen prey to instant gratification. The arts, and the need for them, have become more important than ever before.
Photography is an oasis. Photography shows us the seemingly insignificant as significant and elevates the ordinary to the extraordinary. A fleeting moment can be distilled down to its very essence, its true nature revealed in a static moment. Photography gives the viewer what he or she may be lacking — time. Time to appreciate, to study, to marvel.
I was born and raised in southern California. I have always had an interest in photography, but it was not clear to me at first that it would ultimately be one of my most enduring passions. I took a few classes in photo technique and history, but eventually decided to study cinematography. Still photography was always a secondary activity. Then I made my first fateful trip to Yosemite. The outdoors have always held a special allure for me, but that day was different. Suddenly everything felt right, where I was and what I was doing. Suddenly, I felt at home.
Since then I have endeavored to make images that evoke the sense of wonderment I feel every time I photograph. Making a technically good photograph has become easier with the advent of digital techniques, but producing an image with content that speaks to the soul is just as elusive as ever. Searching for that elusive image and very occasionally finding it is part of what feeds my passion. I feel a strong connection with the natural world and when you look at my images I hope to awaken your connection with this astounding planet.
I also strive to make the best prints possible. The first time I saw original prints by Edward Weston and Ansel Adams I was absolutely mesmerized. Up until that point I had seen only reproductions of images from these masters. Those reproductions were able to communicate the image effectively, but the original prints had a stunning, luminous quality for which I was not prepared. The pictures seemed to be alive with light. Using the work of the old masters, as well as the exceptional work of contemporary photographers (Charles Cramer, Michael Reichmann, Brooks Jensen, Bill Atkinson, Alain Briot, to name but a few) as a guide, I work to make prints that not only attempt communicate an idea, but also have that wonderful, luminous nature about them.
I believe the print is the ultimate expression of a photograph. The print is at the very heart of photography. While there are many display and distribution methods to be taken advantage of today, the paper print still holds a quality that cannot be matched. An image on a screen, while beautiful in its own right, is unable to communicate the intricate details and subtle tones of a well printed photograph (at least with current technology). The print, even when framed, is also tactile; it can be held. This sensory experience is vital to the full appreciation of a photograph.
