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"When you shoot in color, you photograph the clothes.
When you shoot in black and white, you photograph
the soul."
As a classically trained photographer, I embraced digital technology with hesitation. However, it ultimately provided a new approach to my subjects and I'm now a confirmed convert. All images contained in these galleries were shot with a Nikon D70 .
I've always agreed with the above quote. For me, black and white is the color of photography. I also feel the quote is very appropriate to the body of my work. Capturing the soul, the essense of my subject, has always been a priority. Greatly influenced by both Taoist painting and the early work of Paul Strand, I try to bring the poignent empty space into harmony with the richly textured surface. My work has been described as "serene" and "immensely peaceful". To evoke that sort of transendence, that whispered dialogue with my subjects, has always been the focus of my photographic vision.
Most of my images are relatively small, some as small as 2" X 4". In a world where "bigger is better" I think my choice to print smaller sized images bears some mention. A small image has an intimate, "hand held" quality that I find very appealing. I am pursuing the idea of creating box sets of my portfolios that can be looked at almost as one would with a Chinese hand scroll... slowly, image by image, in the comfort of a soft chair. This is difficult to do with really large prints. In this respect, I agree with the Taoist painters who felt that art should not be displayed continually but brought out from time to time to contemplate. The box sets are my hand scrolls.
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