For me, pictures are a way of ensuring that my memories aren't lost. I was the 6th of 8 kids and maybe because of that I only have a few pictures of myself before the age of 15 when my friends started getting cameras. I wish I had more pictures. I'd like to know more about what I was like at various ages and photos can give one an idea of how the self shifted through the years.  

 

Since realizing in my 20's that I don't have much of a photographic history I've rather obsessively set out to photo-document my life. I like to joke that I was a Replicant (from Blade Runner) because of my obsession with personal photos. 

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Having a camera on hand so much lead me to interest in other photo subjects. I like to explore light and shadow, color shifts and shades and collateral subjects - e.g when the photographer is seen in a reflection in the shot or in a shadow cast on the ground or when something else is going on in the background that is incongruent or unexpected. 

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I also like to explore what happens when I slow down the exposure or move the camera during the shot. Sometimes you can't even see what the subject was but the image is still beautiful. I call those my "abstract" shots. For years I kept them only in my computer. I would look at them from time to time and when I did they made me happy but I was usually too embarrassed to show them to anyone else. Finally I started printing and hanging them. 

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My favorite thing is when I click a picture and something totally unexpected appears on the view screen.  It may be some kind of effect from not having the settings adjusted right. Sometimes I can tweak the settings further to enhance the effect or I can shift the composition and I'll get something even more "Wow!" but often it's just that first accidental magic combination and the first shot is the best.

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These days more and more I'm I find myself taking pictures with my phone camera. Having a camera in my pocket at virtually all times is pretty amazing. 

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I hope you like my work!