I was exposed to photography from the day I was born in 1967. My Father was a photographic hobbyist taking thousands of photos of the family and various other subjects through the years. I was, although reluctant at times, the subject of many of my Father’s portraits. Dad was always trying new equipment and experimented with many photographic techniques of the day. Dad even processed his own B&W prints in a well- equipped darkroom located in our basement. As a child, I stood in that darkroom many times while dad developed film. I fondly remember the excitement I felt as an image started showing through the pool of dark room chemicals in which the paper soaked. I recall the harsh smell of the processing chemicals and the scary aura of the dim red light that filled the tiny space above dad’s work area. Looking back recently, at thousands of photos and slides stored away in my Father’s archieves, I can see what a great eye he had for composing a shot.
As a teenager, my main fascination was with music. I became a competent drummer and dreamed of the life that a musician would live. As life goes, reality began to sit in. College, career, and marriage took over as priorities of my time. During this time, however, I did not abandon music altogether. I learned basic guitar and piano while composing many musical pieces. To this day, I still compose and record “musical landscapes” from time to time. The music of Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno, and Rush has provided inspiring, background “soundscapes” during the development of many of my images.
Music and photography is a natural combination in my eyes. As I listened to recordings growing up, I would study every detail of an album cover. Many great album covers set the standard for which I judge my own work. I’ll sometimes choose “keepers” based on if I feel the image would look acceptable as an album cover. The album cover designs of Hugh Syme and Storm Thorgerson are not only legendary in the music world but, are also popular in the world of visual arts.
This takes me back to photography. I’ve always been fascinated with the classic black and white photographic works that we are all familiar with. The photographs of Ansel Adams, Edward Weston and George Tice will be inspiring to many generations to come. Currently, the works of William Eggleston, Jean-Francois Rauzier, Gregory Crewdson, and so many others inspire my work as well. The amount of time, detail and money that goes into a Crewsdon image is mind-boggling. The “hyper photo composites” of Jean-Francois Rauzier is nothing short of amazing. Also, many great works of photography can be found on the Internet. Browsing the web has allowed me to discover great photographs from Edward Watkins and Christine Twomey.
Lastly, my wife Karen has provided a great source of inspiration. Karen has always supported me in all my endeavors and she encourages me to take the next step.
