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In
February 1983 the Shenandoah Valley experienced a 30 inch snow fall.
One of the things my new wife and I realized was that we did not have
a camera to take pictures of the event. So as soon as the snow melted
enough to move, we went to our local photo shop and purchased a used
35mm range finder camera. I was given a 12-exposure roll of film and
told to go out, give it a try, and bring the camera back if I did not
like the results. One of the images from that roll resulted in my
first landscape. Since then I've improved my technique and equipment,
but the main focus of my photography has remained the same:
Nature
& Landscape Photography.
My
formal photographic training consists of adult education classes and
several seminars. The majority of my education has been from personal
reading, analyzing the work and technique of the top nature and
landscape photographers, and my own experimentation in the field. I
have a BS degree in Chemical Engineering and feel that the training
as an engineer has helped with the technical aspect of photography.
But more importantly, I use the engineering mind set of always
looking for different ways of viewing a situation and adapting to it.
Emphasis is
placed on composition of light and form. I particularly like morning
for the quality of light but also for the affects of fog that are more
prominent in the morning. I shoot both 35mm and digital, viewing the
type of format used as only the tool to acquire the final image.
A majority of my work is from West Virginia and Western Maryland, but
also includes images from a variety of places like the Smoky
Mountains, Yellowstone, Alaska, Bavaria, Japan, and Italy.
Over the years I have competed and received awards in both local and
national competitions. Most recently one of my images was included
in the 2007 Bi-Annual West Virginia Juried Artists Exhibition. My first individual
showing was in the summer of 2001 at the Washington County Museum of
Fine Art in Hagerstown, MD.
I now
show in several galleries across WV and
Virginia with shows scheduled at different
locations throughout the year.
My
photography has appeared in a range of publications including
postcards, books, note cards, and calendars. Many images
have also been used in travel brochures for West Virginia and
Pennsylvania. It has also been published in magazines like
Wonderful West Virginia, BlueRidge Country,West
Virginia Outdoors, West Virginia Heritage, Country Extra, WV South, and National Geographic Adventure Magazine. |
