I am a fine art photographer living and practicing on California’s Monterey Peninsula. I took up photography as an avocation later in life. Over the years my image-making has transitioned from attempting to capture the “wow” moment to conveying an ephemeral sense of the present moment. Experiencing the present brings me a connection to a greater whole, evoking feelings of serenity, longing, mystery, and timelessness.
I often work in alternative processes, primarily palladium and cyanotype. I believe the soft quality of these processes suits my intent, and I very much like having a hand in the creation of the final product.
My influences include the quiet Central Coast landscapes of local painter Richard Tette, and the serenity, simplicity, and beauty of photographer Michael Kenna’s work. I am fortunate to live in an area with a rich and vibrant photographic culture, including the Center for Photographic Art and ImageMakers of Monterey County. I am indebted to so many fellow artists in these organizations and others for their advice, critique, support, and inspiration.
My images are in numerous private collections, as well as the permanent collection of the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.
Statement:
“You wait for the present, empty handed, and you are filled.” Annie Dillard
My photography explores the present moment. The present moment is the ultimate oxymoron, as it is both fleeting and eternal. The present is the only thing we have — it is always the present moment. The future is unknown, the past is subject to the frailty of memory. Yet, continually, instantaneously, the future becomes the present, the present becomes the past. So it has always been.
The present is an elusive thing. It has been a long process for me to realize that the present is not something to be intellectualized but to be experienced. That experience connects me to a greater whole and evokes feelings of longing, mystery, serenity, wonder, and joy. Whether I am photographing the natural landscape or the built environment, I seek to communicate those emotions.
I am quite fond of long exposures, since they convey both presence and timelessness. I often work in alternative processes, primarily palladium and cyanotype. I believe the soft quality of these processes support my intent, and I enjoy having a hand in the creation of the final product.
I create out of a simple desire to do so, coupled with the urge to express and explore my experience of the present moment and the greater whole.
