While many artists get philosophical to the extreme about their work, I simply feel that if an image is created with the intent of it being “art” and is pleasing, inspiring, or intriguing - a visual treat for the eye and soul, then it is successful - it is art. There are no hidden meanings or political agendas to my work.

I am now working primarily with my 4”x5” Linhof Technikardan and a Pentax 67 Medium Format system - both with a wide compliment of lenses. But, images I have created over the years have been captured on everything from 35mm to 4x5 on other camera systems. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

There are an infinite number of choices in photographing a subject: such as film, camera format, which lens to use, time of day, lighting conditions, filters, angle of view, aperture, shutter speed, composition, cropping and many more. I try to compose in a way that will give the strongest image, the most impact and the most interest. It is mainly an exercise in eliminating the superfluous.

I remember when I was about 14 years old and hiking up a mountain trail to Timpanogos Cave in North Central Utah. I had a Brownie Holiday camera with me. I looked across the canyon and thought to myself what a beautiful scene. So, I took a snapshot and continued on the hike. Later, when I got the prints back from my roll of film I was shocked to see how boring that particular shot was. It had no point of interest, no compositional integrity and no variety of texture - just a flat, lifeless shot of a mountainside. It portrayed nothing of the excitement I felt when I was there taking the picture. And, I didn’t know why. I do know why now. Often the large scene isn’t the most interesting view to communicate a feeling of the area and often isn’t the strongest compositional portrayal. There needs to be a center of interest, variety of object sizes within the image, pleasing contrast, texture, etc. 

I enjoy finding the small scene within the larger view. I also enjoy taking close-ups to create semi-abstract designs that have power and interest. I have often been asked, “I really like this picture. What is it?” Some of my close-up shots are mistaken for aerial photography. What the subject matter is isn’t as important as how it looks.

I tend to see almost all subject matter as if it were an abstract scene and concentrate on the composition and the other artistic elements. In many cases the subject matter is only incidental to the art. At other times, the subject matter is important to communicating the essence of a particular place that has significance, unusual beauty in the overall scene or a spiritual essence one may feel at a place of grandeur.

In any case, I feel like I’m on a constant hunt for monuments in the mountains, treasures in the trees and diamonds in the dirt. It’s exciting.

Once a photographer has mastered his or her tools, and has acquired an understanding of the medium’s strengths, as well as its limitations, the artist is free to feel, to concentrate on the bare essence of art ..... and good things can happen.