artist statement
In our finest moments, I believe the human soul holds a desire to create. Creativity may be born from necessity or desire, and at its most powerful, from both. It is a focused passion to create something uniquely personal, yet shared. A photograph, an artistic expression written with brushes of light, is the expression my soul aspires to create.
I am drawn to celebrate the natural world, which I believe is intensely alive and embodies far more strength, compassion, and pure beauty than humanity can fully imagine. I believe we are minute particles in Earth’s existence and the opportunity to capture portraits, both in expanse and detail, is an attempt to connect more closely to our existence. At its core, my work seeks to portray Earth’s beauty and share those expressions, offering a path for viewers to witness, respect, admire, and love Mother Earth and its inhabitants, past, present and future.
As a medium, I deliberately choose to work with black and white film. Paramount to the use of film is its lack of being instantaneous. The process from initial visualization to composition, exposure, processing and finally printing, are each unique chapters in the creative exploration. Throughout this journey, technical expertise must work in unison with artistic vision. This marriage of craft and expression has captivated my mind and soul from the onset and continues to inspire my photography.
The decision to work solely in black and white is grounded in the ability to more fully create and communicate my vision. The manipulation of tonalities is unbound by inherent color, allowing greater focus on light and form. As a result, I find the black and white medium to meander within a realm of simplicity and complexity.
For you the viewer, my goal is to invite both mind and soul to embark within a photograph where serenity, introspection or the simple appreciation of natural beauty may be discovered. If a photograph I have created evokes even a single moment of emotional response, I am deeply humbled and grateful.