I’ve been engaged in large format photography since 1996, large format meaning the use of a film size 4 inches by 5 inches or larger. Depending on the situation I use 3 view cameras, a 4 x 5, 8 x 10 and 11x 14, old school under a dark cloth, with a bellows. The size of the film dictates the size of the camera. A larger camera forces the artist to slow down, be in the moment allowing the subject to reveal a gravitas generally not seen in digital when upwards to 1000 frames are shot in a modeling session. In 2 hours I might expose 16 sheets of film. Film is expensive. Every shot is precious. Each time I shoot a frame my goal is a masterpiece. There is no delete button on a large format camera.
 
I work in a leisurely, deliberate manner usually on location with natural light, keeping the tone of the session carefree and breezy. I find that the milieu of the model lends itself in drawing out the personality as opposed to studio portraits most of which have a staged look.
 
Each piece of film is developed in a traditional darkroom and printed to museum standards on fiber based photographic paper, and then selenium toned for archival permanence.
 
All of the photographs on this site are digitally reproduced representations of the original photograph, but not in the remotest sense do justice to the luminosity and dimensionality of the original handmade prints.