All art is in essence, a form of expression. Photography is often broadly labeled as art, despite its somewhat unique relationship with reality. For some, myself included, photography is just like any other art form – an attempt to involve its audience with a creative emotional context that can range from the beautiful, the horrific, the amazing or the profound. Art of any kind derives great power from an ability to stir a connection with its viewer and evoke an emotional response.

The viewer of photography may, for better or often worse, be under the preconceived notion that a photograph is merely a form of documentation of an actual event. While it is true that the camera is a tool designed to render an image of reality as closely as the limits of a two dimensional medium will allow, let us not forget that it alone is often a wholly inadequate representation of our experience, whatever that may be. Our experience is so much more than any camera can capture.

Even in the hands of a master, a camera alone will never capture anything as we can observe it with all of our senses. My goal is to illustrate the rich experiences I have had in this world as best as I can within the limits of this two-dimensional medium. I do make every effort to record a scene as faithfully as I can, true to the subject matter without adding or removing anything of significance, yet there is never an absolute definition of what I saw in the image to begin with. How we see is a very personal thing. To this point, I believe a great photograph is not merely documenting the scene at hand, rather it is about fusing the essential vision of the artist with the landscape.

The artist’s vision can come from anywhere. Often, and not the least bit sadly in my estimation, one’s personal vision can be rooted in a deep personal pain or struggle that simply cannot be remedied in a way other than the type of expression that comes from art. In all our lives, there is at least some sort of unresolved emotional content which can manifest itself in any number of artistic ways. Art is the great release. It allows us to channel our deepest thoughts and interpretations, and share them with others in a way uniquely our own.

I want my photographs to record the scene at hand in all the detail that the camera recorded, but my art does not stop there. I have traveled through nature much of my life and yet struggled to reconcile those experiences in nature with everything else around me. My photography provides me a bridge with which I can make this connection. I can show you a place, and hopefully, I can convey something of my experience to the viewer as well.