I am not a traditional photographer. I spent many years painting paintings. For me, capturing the photographic image is only the beginning of a long and complex process that allows me to uniquely shape each of my pictures, guided by my imagination, intuition, and emotion. I attempt to drag my photograph as far back into the world of painting that I came from without allowing it to lose its photographic essence. And, since life itself is far from perfect, I attempt to mirror life in my work by allowing imperfections to become part of my subject matter.
I begin to explore composition possibilities with only a vague idea as a guide and the hope that I will arrive at an image that is both striking and memorable. Inspiration sometimes comes from Greek mythology or Biblical stories, because those engaging ancient tales are filled with exotic personalities and life's lessons still relevant today. The mental image I carry is enough to get me started and it will shift and change as the artwork progresses. Elements and ideas are discarded as better ones present themselves and accidents often provide welcome surprises.