STATEMENT

Photograph: derived from the Greek words; phôs (light) and graphikós (to draw or paint)

 I have worked in the traditional method of photography (as opposed to digital) for over 35 years. As I continue to strive to master the technical aspects of camera, film, paper and chemistry, I am more interested in exploring the space-time continuum that is at the core of the photographic medium.

While nature is a common theme in my work, the subject in front of my camera is merely an excuse for me to exploit photography to “capture silver dust” wherever I can find it and take it back to the darkroom where I precipitate the dust into silver halide crystals on paper. When I am lucky (which isn’t often) the best I can hope for is a visual Koan, a paradoxical riddle about the universe that I present to the viewer for their own meditation.

Some Technical Notes:

I use many formats including 35mm, 2 1/4, 4 x 5, and 8 x 10 cameras. After many years of hauling, manipulating, cleaning and fondling, my cameras and lenses have become faithful companions on my many journeys of solitude.

All film and prints are developed by hand in my darkroom, which is outfitted like a nuclear submarine with all manner of printing equipment both old and new. All my prints are gelatin silver prints processed to archival standards utilizing whatever methods, tricks, witchcraft and alchemy I can find to extract the image I visualized when I released the shutter. Typical techniques include intensification, bleaching, dodging, burning, contrast masking, flashing and toning, all of which I hope remain invisible to the viewer; as these are meant to enhance the visual experience, not dominate it.

I am currently working on several larger digital prints made with scans from traditional negatives…

STAY TUNED.