My eyes are often drawn to items existing in various states of disrepair. I look at an old barn, a shattered window, a broken door and wonder what it looked like or how it functioned when it was new. I believe I have an old soul and even felt this as a child. Old items and ideas intrigued me and I was always anxious to understand how things were built or used by prior owners. As an adult I still wonder who built that barn, how was it made and perhaps why it’s in its present condition. I love to find value in things that other people discount. With my camera, I feel compelled to document the existence of items that will soon vanish; to create a beautiful image, a piece of art that will make someone notice the subject matter and give it worth.

I print most of my work in platinum using a process that is virtually unchanged when compared to the first time it was used in 1873. To produce a print, I hand coat a piece of 100% cotton rag paper with a solution containing platinum salts, an iron oxalate sensitizer and a contrast agent. The coated paper along with the negative is then exposed to intense ultraviolet light, which causes a reduction of the metal salts to pure metal. After developing, the image is soaked in citric acid to clear any remaining salts. This leaves a final print of pure platinum metallic fragments laid onto and imbedded within the paper. The resulting image is one of incredible tones with unparalleled detail and clarity. Once I learned this process, I truly understood why I was attracted to it and the resulting image. This process allows me to produce images with a certain feeling of nostalgia and mystery, images with the warm tones and clarity that enhance the mood and subject of my compositions.

I find great satisfaction in watching someone view my images. My intent is to draw them in, to make them step closer to the image to discover the detail. I always hope that when they step away and once again look at the image from a distance, they see something very different.