|
My first love is black and white photography. That probably has to do with the fact that I started out many years ago sloshing around in a makeshift darkroom set up in my parent's basement bathroom. Much of my photography is done in large format (4x5), and usually I'm drawn to scenes with strong compositional elements and strong lighting. Most of my black and white images are manipulated and often times are quite different from what a literal translation of the scene would show. I do, however, strive to maintain the believability of the image. So, even though there may be a great deal of manipulation, it isn't readily obvious. The abstract nature of the final image is also important because even though the scene is recognizable, we don't normally see in black and white.
People often ask me why I photograph and after much consideration the one thing that I come up with is this...it gives me joy. To find exciting things all around, sometimes in the most familiar places, fascinates me. Showing it to others is my way of sharing that joy. That's all there is to it, no drawn out explanations, no spiritual intervention, no existential undercurrents, just good, strong photographs! After all when I'm not here to explain it there will only be the work so it has to be able to stand on its own.
|
|
|