Little Rock, Arkansas
My background weighs heavily with black & white portraiture, and it shows in all my work, whether people are present or not. I approach all subjects as I would a portrait, watching, waiting, for the essence; striving to capture the character and personality and spirituality of a landscape, or a person, or a thing. The photographer Russell Cothren refers to the responsibility involved, and I feel it strongly – a duty to the viewer and the subject. The images in this portfolio speak of family and water, dogs and children - the essence of rural Arkansas.
I typically use traditional silver film and papers, processed by hand in the darkroom. I love the visual depth of silver photographs. Stare into the shadows, shine another light, and you will see more detail, secrets being held in layers of silver. And I appreciate the time-tested longevity of a carefully processed silver print. Perhaps, more than anything, my choice hinges on experience. Keith Carter once called the darkroom the tool of my generation of photographers. Silver films and papers give me what I want; they allow me to realize the vision. They are old and trusted friends.
