Camera Art
Through my camera art, I seek to unveil an enhanced reality, filled with beauty and infinite possibilities, inviting viewers to explore and question the world beyond the physical reality.
Creative Focus
The subject matter of my work is a direct reflection of the world around me. I search for and capture beauty, then enhance it to match the vision I hold in my mind’s eye. My attraction to a particular scene stems from its layers, featuring an engaging foreground, mid-ground, and background. I seek out leading lines that guide the viewer’s eye and dramatic lighting that casts long shadows, adding depth and texture. Colors also play a crucial role, as I aim for hues that evoke romance, calmness, enlightenment, and serenity.
My Inspiration
Inspiration finds me in various places. Artists such as Vincent Van Gogh with his Impressionism, Salvador Dali and his surrealism, and Jerry Uelsmann’s surreal photographic compositions deeply influence my work. New experiences and places, especially in nature with open spaces, fuel my creativity. Themes of space and the infinite universe often permeate my work, reflecting my belief in the existence of life beyond our world.
Career Background
Prior to becoming a full-time artist, I worked in a variety of leadership roles in the Information Technology industry. I have implemented enterprise software at Fortune 500 companies, sold and managed IT consulting engagements, and provided executive search services to the world’s largest consulting companies. I have been a motivational speaker and career coach to executives in career transition. I have developed and presented multi-day professional workshops in collaboration with not-for-profit organizations and taught real-world economics to high school students through Junior Achievement. I’ve served as the Technology Director on the board of my homeowner’s association in Coconut Grove since 2012.
Education
I began studying and practicing fine art photography in high school. My formal education includes an MBA from the University of Tennessee and a BSBA in Economics from the University of Florida. At the University of Florida, my photography was influenced by the surreal work of Photography Department head, Jerry Uelsmann. With the advent of digital photography, I decided to upgrade my photography skills. I returned to university studies and completed the core curriculum for a Bachelor of Fine Art in Photography at The Art Institute of Atlanta.
Process
Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop are essential tools in processing my digital photographs, enabling me to create large, high-definition wall images. A distinctive element of my process involves the use of Nik Silver Efex software. I have crafted custom settings that emulate my wet darkroom film and paper-based processes. First, I fully process my digital negative as a color print. Then I create an optimized black and white print to overlay the color image as a luminosity mask. By overlaying a black and white image as a luminosity mask on the color original, I infuse each piece with a nostalgic black and white film feeling while optimizing contrast levels. This approach lends my color prints a distinctive quality, suggesting the nostalgia of monochromatic photographic images in a modern art form.
I work with specialty labs using a color-managed workflow to print the image which is then personally inspected and signed before it is face-mounted to acrylic glass and optionally framed. A serialized Certificate of Authenticity is signed and provided with each fine art print.