Years ago, after studying the work of the brilliant photographers
Ansel Adams,
Edward Weston and
Brett Weston, I decided to follow my own dream of becoming the best photographer I could be. As part of the process, I taught myself the
Zone System technique that was first developed by Adams. I was also fortunate enough to participate in a couple of his workshops before
he passed away in 1984.
The
Zone System helps create the path from the photographer's vision to the final print. It is a combination of technique and approach;
the values of fine art as well as photographic science support the photographer's perception of the world in front of
the camera.
I use 5"x7" and 6cm x 9cm format cameras with black & white film and
I develop the film myself in Pyro in my own darkroom. My photographs are silver gelatin,
toned in selenium, processed to archival standards, and mounted on acid-free mat board. The entire process from visualization
of the composition to framing of the final print is done by myself.
In addition to developing the
ability to visualize a photograph before taking the shot, I have been working on the utilization of computer-generated "masks"
in the printing process. This new type of masking is very exciting and is helping to create wonderful results in the final
print.
Please use the Navigation Bar to the left to visit my galleries and see samples of my work.
