Artist’s Statement:

A camera captures an image which is only as true as the photographer (or print maker) wants it to be. Film is limited in its ability to store information and photographic paper reveals only part of what is on the film. It is through manipulation of the image in the darkroom (either chemical or digital) that you get to see anything. The image you see may or may not be what was really there. A photographer is like a good sleight of hand artist, revealing the parts of the film he wants to show you, with the other parts hidden just enough so you think you saw the entire image. You enjoy the work and never really feel you missed anything.

Though I started taking pictures in 1964, I didn’t really get my act together as a photographer until 1989. That’s when I bought my color darkroom equipment and started using it to create photographs that portrayed the feel of the moment rather than the exact image the camera saw. My work is now done in a digital darkroom and I have expanded my palate accordingly. The work you see here has been made so you can see some of the things that I enjoy.

When creating images in a chemical darkroom, one can apply dodging, burning, masking, filters, multiple exposures, and solarizations among other things. Using Adobe Photoshop, I can do these things and more. I love to play around so that my viewers can see some of the wonders I see both in real life and in my imagination. I refuse to be limited to stark realism as expressed by many photographers. My goal is to make images that express the diverse nature my mind sees (and to express my joy at being able to partake of this wonderful planet I live on).

Remember, photographs lie!

Habenero