I was drawn to the memory creation aspect of photography over 30 years ago. As I became more deeply interested I found my inspirations in the well known practitioners of the art. Men such as Ansel Adams, the Westons, Wynn Bullock and Paul Caponigro drew me outwards, into the landscape and I humbly thank them. As time passed and my own characteristics became more strongly bonded with the images I created, my heroes changed. No longer the f64 club and West Coast school, but a broader range of image style and image subject grew in appeal - unsharp, dark and brooding, light and wispy, imagery full of movement, light or portent all appealed. I no longer knew what ‘type‘ of artist I wanted to be; no longer felt sure about my choices of subject matter and how I should present that subject matter. In retrospect, those were the best of times. I photographed everything and anything. When the dust had settled I looked through my disparate body of work and using a process of self criticism I came to understand that I was what I always thought I was. I am that solitary image maker - most comfortable in a landscape that does not answer back, does not chase around like a dog on speed. A landscape that reaches out its hands and invites thought, introspection, exploration, peace and a sense of psychological grounding. I have lately come to value simplicity and also visual allegory. As a consequence my influences have changed yet again and include John Blakemore, Fay Godwin, Michael Kenna, Pentti Sammallahti and a host of outstanding contemporary visual artists.
You may see from my portfolios a loose history of personal development, seemingly without constraint to any genre of photography. I make no apologies for this. I love black and white and color equally. I photograph landscapes, man-made objects and abstract forms. I can be sharp and detailed in my work or can produce blurry or impressionist type photography that better describes the spirit of a place. But at heart, I always return to the landscape where producing a portfolio of thematic photographic work on any given topic is more important to me than the making of individual images because it allows me to more deeply explore the external environment and its effects upon me. Through the type of images I make, I am ultimately making a statement about myself.
I currently have several ongoing portfolios of work that I add to when time allows. These portfolios may take years to complete or they may see completion in a matter of a day or two (at least as far as the actual act of photographing is concerned). I have several "portfolios of the mind" that have never been edited or put together but which I will eventually get around to organizing. Please check back from time to time to look at new additions to my web portfolios.
