About Me

 

 

“It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart, and head.”  — Henri Cartier-Bresson

 

Although my first photos were created with a simple camera; my younger siblings as subjects, my art (and camera choice) has evolved through later self-discovery, whether that be from reading, trial and error, to workshops, and practice, practice, practice. I find photography both exhilarating and exhausting, but always inspiring.

Exhilarating because I now notice beauty in some of the most mundane things. I have given myself permission to manipulate photos to show what I felt when on scene, to show ordinary things in unexpected ways, to elevate the ordinary. I find this very satisfying.

Exhausting in the best ways possible. Sometimes photography is physically exhausting because to be ready to photograph a sunrise requires going to the location extremely early to prepare for the shoot. I truly believe it seems darkest, and I will add – coldest, just before dawn. Locations to photograph are scouted beforehand for composition possibilities and safety. Sometimes that involves a great, but tiring, hike. Capturing the images is just the beginning. Now comes the processing. I find processing can be emotionally exhausting when trying to capture the feeling or bring forth the thoughts I had while photographing. I often have envisioned how an image should look in mind and cannot quite get what I intended – but I try, try, again, and again, and again. Sometimes the image just doesn’t work and I must recognize that and move on. That hurts and is emotionally hard.

For me, photography is exhilarating, exhausting at times, but always inspiring. I find the American Southwest extremely stimulating and inspiring. I am an Arizona native and have only lived in Arizona and southern Colorado. Though I have traveled to other places, I realize that there is nowhere as uniquely beautiful as the southwest. I love the muted colors, the textures, and starkness of much of that landscape, yet there are pockets of surprisingly vibrant colors as well. I love the petrichor – the smell in the air after the first rain falls following a dry spell. I love the openness and how light can show the layers of mountains and mesas beyond a plain or field. I love how the varying qualities of light can bring out the most beautiful colors and nuances of color. If my art can inspire even one more person to explore, enjoy, and appreciate my little part of the world, I have succeeded.

My images are not documentary, they are my impressions, my attempt to convey the mood of the scene. I hope my photographic creations leave a sense of wonderment with you. My intentions are not to please everyone, but to create what pleases me and I think, perhaps, they will please someone else along the way.

“Seeing is not enough; you have to feel what you photograph.”

— Andre Kertesz