Artist Interview
When did you start creating art... and why?
As far back as I can remember…Starting with charcoal and pencil sketches, then moving onto acrylics and abstract paintings provided a foundation for photography. Why? Creating is a passion…to capture a feeling, a mood, to find a voice.
What and who inspired you... and what and who inspires you right now?
Other photographers, such as Ansel Adams inspire me …to stretch myself as a photographer. The beauty of people and places and interesting shapes, forms, textures…that is why I am drawn to black and white.
Have you faced any challenges in your artistic journey?
Time…there isn’t enough time.
Why black and white photography? Why digital?
It captures not only the obvious beauty in the world but also, also the grittiness of life. I find it fascinating to merge the technology of digital with the classic look of black and white photography.
How do you approach your photography…what is your process?
By intuition…with curiosity. I usually take a series of photos from different angles and with different camera settings. Since I now shoot in digital, I shoot in color and then convert to black and white and crop as necessary to achieve the finished photo.
Why is one of your galleries titled 'faces' and not 'portraits'?
I like to take close-up photographs of faces...something more intimate than traditional portraits. There are some great portrait photographers out there that will do formal and informal portraits but, I try for something a bit more intimate...a closer look at the person away from the persona of their lives as mother, father, son, daughter, worker.
Can you elaborate?
A portrait is usually taken to mark a social milestone such as a graduation, wedding, award, etc. It is celebrating the person in a role and that's all very wonderful. What I'm trying to capture is the person as a sum of all their experiences in life.
Why a gallery on Burma?
I was appalled by the mistreatment of the monks during their quiet protest. As an artist I felt I had to do something however small...to use my medium of photography to inform those unaware of the plight of the people of Myanmar (Burma).
