In It For The Long Haul

Photography though not my profession, is my vocation, or maybe my problem. And though I sometimes get frustrated with the process and/or results, I've been at it long enough to know better than to quit.

Strangers for Subjects

Since 1985, when I bought my first camera, I've tended to aim my lens at the world around me, as opposed to exploring my own inner turmoil. As soon as I got over my initial shyness of strangers, people became my focus. More recent developments, however, have steered me toward inanimate things too.

Documentary Fiction

Largely of the 35mm B&W persuasion, my work reveals mundane occurrences. Having tried my hand for several years at photojournalism, I became less interested by the exceptional and more intrigued by the ordinary. Concurrently, I abandoned the pursuit of truth for the way things appear. Pictures are more thought provoking without captions.

Exceptions To The Rule

Color has crept into my world. Influenced by my peers in Lightleak and the Portland Grid Project, I've embraced medium format color. Loading my pinhole camera with color film provides comic relief to the severity of B&W. I also find that documenting Portland neighborhoods in color gives the images a more contemporary feel.

Group Involvement

Since 2005 I've participated in several groups and forums that motivate and inspire me.

Lightleak is a cooperative of Portland photographers who meet once a month to discuss current trends and critique each others' work. We also put together group shows and hang out and drink beer.
The Portland Grid Project involves 12 Portland photographers who spend 90 consecutive months photographing each grid square of AAA map of the city. We meet monthly after the completion of a grid square to share our work and receive the following month's assignment.
In-Public is an international web cooperative that devotes itself to the exhibition and promotion of Street Photography. The Twenty-odd members discuss topics in an on-line forum and present their work in galleries on the web site.

Film

Though I own a digital camera (good for stuff I don't want to waste time on in the darkroom), film is more fun. As long as they keep making it, I'll shoot it and not have to worry about the next round of upgrades. Unless stated otherwise, all work on this site was taken with film.

Vital Statistics

Born in 1961 in Boston. Reside in Portland, OR. Divorced with one daughter (b. 1994).