Photography
Photography became my medium of choice in the late 70's. I had been a painter in school and then in a warehouse studio for a few years, and was becoming more interested in the changing urban environment in the metro Detroit area. I wanted to paint from the landscape but that being prohibitive onsite, I tried to shoot color slides to bring into the studio and project. But very quickly I was caught by the ability to produce many images quickly. That and the need for employment, I plunged into photography.
Early Black and White
Kodak Tri-X was my film, this being versatile in nearlyall light situations. I loved the darkroom process. I loved printing. I also had a job that provided cases of film for the asking (shooting real estate). I carried my camera everywhere. No one I knew at the time escaped being put to film. I shot miles and miles of negatives betweem 1981 and around 2004, when the products became scarce and I became comfortable with the digital world.
Early Color Chromes
During the years above, I also shot color slides, using mostly 100 or 200 ASA transparency film. More color work was done in the late 90's and the last chromes shot were in Italy, 2004, about the time the processing labs and camera shops were closing. The digital camera world was advancing and I moved right into it.
Digital Color and Black and White
As digital photography was advancing, I learned how wrong I was to belief that it would never take over film. Soon I was open the all new media possibilities. I returned to class to get up to speed on the computer. I upgraded my digital cameras as they advanced in resolution, buying the newest Nikon as it came out.
The Dalia Series
This is a personal addiction. Fom the end of the chromes to the middle of digital, I have been drawn to these flowers. I just can't stop shooting their beauty, or couldn't as I have made myself stop after millions of shots. I realized their vivid colors were so overwhelming that I started eliminating the color through channel mixing the images. In black and white, they become something else and their beauty is in the detail.
Painting
Yes, this is what I do now. After years of carrying my brushes, paints and a few odd canvassas, from place to place, always wanting to go back there, I signed on for a drawing class.In 2014, I looked online for a painting class, packed up my supplies and went to Greece with a group from the east coast for a two week workshop. I did buy new paints, but some survived the 40 years and I am now happy to say, my camera is now a tool for studies for paintings.
Recent Paintings
To be continued....