ARTIST’S STATEMENT
My introduction to photography came in high school when I joined the camera club, learned the basics of using a camera, and began to photograph sporting events for the school paper. Later, in Vietnam, photography became a means to document my experience, an aid to maintaining my sanity during an insane time. Much later in life, while working in New York City, photography again became an important part of my life. I initially set out to simply document my New York experience. But gradually I found that photography was really becoming a journey in which I was trying to find meaning in this experience, and a respite from the chaotic pace of my working life.
Looking back, I see that photography has always been a journey. It has evolved into a journey of the spirit. I believe we are spiritual beings, living in a world with that we are totally interrelated, and dependent upon. For me, the joy of photography has become the opportunity to experience that relationship, whether in a natural or man-made environment; to capture the spiritual essence of a place, at a moment in time, in such a way as to convey that experience to others. I’m not always successful. There are many times when I return from my excursions feeling frustrated and empty. But, when those brief moments happen, when I feel totally connected with a place and moment, there is magic. Time seems to stand still, all my other cares disappear, life becomes peaceful, and the joy of that moment remains imbedded in my conscience from that moment on. I hope that you are able to pick up some sense of that connection, peace and joy through my photographs.