“My photographs are not planned or composed in advance, and I do not anticipate that the onlooker will share my viewpoint. However, I feel that if my photograph leaves an image on his mind, something has been accomplished.”   Robert Frank

My family moved from southern Indiana to southern California in 1963 when I was 9 years old. The move was both exciting and scary and as we drove along the historic route 66 from St. Louis to Los Angeles I worried about what it would be like to start life over in a new place. At that young age the drive was boring except for the occasional stop at a tourist attraction or Indian Curio Shop – little did I know then that this same drive and all the places it covered would mean so much to me years later.

In 2005 my wife and I were vacationing in Arizona and New Mexico which included a short visit to Taos as we headed to Santa Fe. Both of us fell in love with magical Taos and a few months later we purchased a second home. We’ve since learned that Taos has a history of drawing people in – this is not at all unusual for mysterious northern New Mexico.

Living part-time between southern California and northern New Mexico allows for unlimited driving explorations on interesting back roads – which leads to unique discoveries and contributes to wonderful photographic opportunities. My 36 year background in civil engineering influences my sense of composition as I find my eye naturally drawn to the geometric designs that exist in nature as well as the man-made.

My goal is to capture and preserve the vast landscapes, crumbling buildings, rusting forgotten cars and evidence of diverse cultures that I find along the way – giving them new recognition, preserving them as they erode, before they melt back into the earth.

Photography has always been a part of my life. This medium allows me to preserve and present to others the images that form within my mind’s eye. I’ve found that digital capture meets my personal needs and Adobe Photoshop functions perfectly as a 21st century darkroom. In the last few years, equipment and technology advances have made it so that I find my pigment on paper images can possess to same clarity, depth, contrast and longevity of some of the renowned photographers of the past. With their influences and examples, I strive to follow in their footsteps, in the hopes of meeting their high standards.

My most important influences are: Ansel Adams, Paul Caponigro, Dorthea Lange, Paul Strand, Robert Frank, Maynard Dixon, and my great friend Craig Varjabedian.

When people view my images it is my hope that they see beyond my vision and experience their own feelings and emotions. Hopefully though my eyes they might gain a new perspective and see their world in a new and expanded way. I believe that the goal of all art forms is to expand ones point of view and deepen our understanding and enjoyment of our everyday world.