Artist Statement

The ability to capture an ephemeral moment and create a semi-eternal image has mesmerized people for almost 200 years. I am one of those people. Being able to freeze and manipulate time has interested me ever since I was a child and my mother first bought me a disposable film camera. Ever since I have been taking photographs of everything that has caught my attention. Now my compulsion to capture everything has turned into a desire to pause and frame the reflection in time into a composition that stops others in their place and asks them to think about what they are really seeing.

If there’s no thought then there’s no feeling. How I choose to frame or crop an object or view can change it’s entire meaning and thus must be carefully considered. When I spot something that captures my attention I’ll often walk back and forth along a stretch to see how the different angles will change the composition. How will the light look in an hour or two when the sun moves slightly lower in the sky? If I wait just a moment or two will I be able to capture those clouds as well? All of these are things I consider when framing my composition because even the slightest change in an angle or light can change the feeling that I’m trying to capture.

 While most of my work is digital I have recently gone back to my childhood roots of shooting with film, albeit my Canon AE-1 is a bit of an upgrade from the single use I had been trusted with so long ago. With only 36 precious frames per roll I have found I am forced to step back and take the time to consider what I am capturing, something so different from the unlimited storage ability of my DSLR or phone. The process of personally developing a roll of film is far more intimate than simply clicking a button and instantly viewing that quick snapshot. Seeing the negatives fresh from the chemical bath is a moment of rediscovery, much like finding a mystery box in the back of the closet who’s contents you’ve long since forgotten.