I have been a fine art photographer for over 20 years. Unlike many photographers who become known for a single type of imagery, I have developed several distinct styles, each of which has evolved out of my deep affinity for various kinds of subject matter.
For example: my nudes are photographed as spare, luminous abstractions, while my images from the jungle of Costa Rica accentuate the glory of chaos within the tangled roots of the rainforest. My series of horizons are a form of reductive minimalism, documenting the changing light as seen from my home overlooking the Pacific Ocean, while conversely, my richly detailed photographs from Angkor Wat in Cambodia reveal with a dark glow the crumbling textures which are the embodiment of mystery in that sacred location. My images from Italy are quiet, simple observations, found in the solitude of being a solo traveler, while my photos of California’s giant Redwoods and Sequoias offer what I hope to be a grand, reverent homage to the world’s tallest, most magnificent living things.
After only one introductory class in basic photography my freshman year of high school, I knew with certainty I was destined to be a photographer. The basic theory, solid, practical advice, and encouragement provided by my first and only teacher, Rhead Lown, was enough to set me on my life’s path. With mutual respect and admiration, Rhead and I still keep in touch, 25 years later.
In my mid-career, I was very lucky to meet and be influenced by my friend and professional mentor Ralph Daniel, a successful commercial photographer. While assisting Ralph on his assignments, I learned from his example how to hone my creative vision. To this day, what impresses me most about Ralph is his constant pursuit to improve his skill and vision as a photographer. I know very few people who make such an effort to better themselves through constant practice, humble self-evaluation, and the kind of commitment to artistic growth that Ralph has made into a way of life. For an impressionable young artist, I couldn’t have asked for a better influence. Thanks to Ralph, I discovered a clarity of purpose to my photography while we were making the long drive back from a location shoot; Ralph pressed me to describe what I wanted to achieve with my photography, and for the first time ever, I was able to articulate my vision, saying I wanted my images to be about: Beauty, Simplicity, Tranquility, and Balance. This breakthrough moment allowed me to start consciously focusing my efforts toward my newly defined goal. Seeing the quality and cohesiveness of the images I’d made after identifying this new direction, I knew I had taken an important first step down a truly personal creative path, one I have followed ever since.
My earliest creative influences were trips to museums and galleries. In addition to enjoying the art on display, I also hoped to learn directly from what inspired me, by trying to reverse-engineer the camera, lighting, and printing techniques used by the masters I admired. Although mostly self-taught, I am now fortunate to have experience with almost every part of the photographic world. I’ve gained a comprehensive level of technical competence with both traditional photographic processes and modern digital imaging through years of experience as an assistant, artist, photographer, studio manager, sales advisor, and technical support consultant. From assisting a fashion photographer in Milan to producing an ad campaign in Rome, from teaching basic photography at local camera stores to providing advanced tech support for world-renowned artists, from making gallery prints in a chemical darkroom to retouching digital images with Photoshop, from managing the daily needs of a working studio to hiking through miles of jungle to find just the right tree, from attending lectures by famous photographers to having my own gallery and museum shows, every kind of involvement I’ve had with the world of photography has contributed to making me the photographer I am today.
Exhibitions, Publications, and Awards:
1992 Group Show - United Nations pavilion: World’s Fair. Genoa, Italy
1996 Group Show - Artopia: Atlanta, GA
2003 Solo Show - "Repose” nudes, Bolinas Museum, California
2004 "Repose" nudes, purchased by the luxury hotel ZOM in Miami Beach, FL
2005 Solo Show - “The Trees of Angkor” Lee Gallery. San Francisco, California
2005 Group Show - Featured Artist: The Contemporaries Gallery, New York, NY
2005 Published in National Geographic Adventure, full page image
2006 Solo Show - “The Trees of Angkor” Calumet Gallery. San Francisco, CA
2006 Award Winner: PDN “World in Focus” extreme exploration category
2006 Award Winner: PDN Photo Annual, personal work category
2007 Solo Show - “The Trees of Angkor” Bolinas Museum, California
2008 Group Show - Art for CARE, proceeds donated to cancer research
2010 Solo Show - "Remnants of Bokor and Kep" Java Arts Gallery, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
2018 Group Show - "The Trees of Angkor" Cove 26 Gallery. Oakland, CA