Thoughts on Photography

I believe everything has a story to tell — from the stranger on the street, to an expansive landscape, or even a single blade of grass blowing in the wind. For me, there’s no better way to share these stories than with my camera.

Between my regular job and my volunteer efforts, it’s often a challenge to find the time to go out and and photograph the world around me. I’ve put this website together as a means to showcase my work, but also to motivate me to do more with my camera. With your help, I hope to continue to develop my hobby and improve the quality of my images.

I have a great time photographing just about any subject, but I really enjoy taking portraits. Photographing people gives me a unique opportunity to briefly step into someone’s life and work with them to share their story. This is often a challenge given the limited time I have to spend with a subject — sometimes just a fleeting moment when shooting a candid street portrait — but these interactions are incredibly rewarding when the resulting image speaks the metaphorical 1,000 words.

I believe it is the photographer’s responsibility to bring out a certain degree of emotional expression in those whom they photograph, as subtile as that expression may be. Moreover, I hold that it is this hint of emotion that makes the difference between an average picture and a really telling portrait. Sadly, I often hear people say things like, “I don’t photograph well” or “I’m not very photogenic” with the implication that this is an insurmountable shortcoming on their part. I don’t ever believe this to be the case.

While I strive to showcase everyone’s best physical appearance, I also make a concerted effort to encourage my clients to share this emotional element with me so that it is evident in the images that we create together. This is what makes an image truly inviting and memorable.

Those who are looking into my camera’s lens will always be an integral part of this process. While many photographers understand the importance of capturing this emotion, they seldom discuss it with their subjects before the shoot. As a photographer, I feel it is important for both of us to understand the feelings my clients wish to portray as we work together to capture them in the images we create.

So, these are some of my thoughts on portrait photography, but I also shoot many other types of photos as well.