I was recently given a photo assignment by the good folks at WJCT to photograph some of Jacksonville’s hidden natural treasures. My vintage Hasselblad 500 CM was the perfect choice for the project since the analog process requires a slower, more thoughtful way of shooting. Victor Hasselblad was the genius who created one of the most popular medium format cameras during the the 20th century. Hasselblad is legendary within analog photography circles, and it was used on all the Apollo missions to the moon. It also took one of the most famous photographs of all time, Earthrise. Completely manual, the camera itself is a joy to use, while it’s craftsmanship and functionality remind me of a fine Swiss watch. I was grateful for this experience because it helped me to see our city in a fresh, new way, revealing a side of Jacksonville that is often hidden from view. A link to the complete article is HERE.
Honored to have this self portrait I made during the pandemic juried into the upcoming photography exhibit, Surrealism: The Unusual and the Subversive at PhotoSC in Columbia, South Carolina. The exhibition challenges the artist to offer allegorical or emblematic commentaries on the culture and politics of our day, to illustrate the ‘horrors’ of our time, and/or to address personal or collective fears and mysteries often represented as psychological narratives.
Ever since the pandemic began, I’ve been fascinated by the ironic beauty of the deadly virus when captured with an electron microscope. I started pulling the images from online news stories and eventually had enough to create a digital collage by placing them over a photograph of my covered face. The title refers to the ongoing waves of infection that seem to wash over our society in a never ending way.
The juror is Natalie Dupecher, Assistant Curator of Modern Art at the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas, she recently curated Photography and the Surreal Imagination, a major reinstallation of the museum’s permanent collection Surrealism galleries. Dupecher recently completed her doctoral studies at Princeton University and specializes in Surrealism and the historical avant-garde.
Many thanks to Our Narratives for interviewing me about my work. It was an amazing experience and I urge you to visit their site to read other interesting interviews of artists and photographers. The complete interview can be accessed here.
Honored to have our newest book project, Sacred Waters published by Arbus Magazine. We are grateful for their continued support and look forward to partnering with Arbus on future articles. To read the entire article online, click here. Sacred Waters comes in both Ebook and softcover printed editions which are available in my store.
I was elated to have this image of an American Alligator juried into Animal Beings, a photo exhibit celebrating the astonishing beauty and diversity found in the animal world. Guest curator Laura Valenti juried 33 images into the show and they were hung at Praxis Gallery in Minneapolis.
One of my images was recently juried into The Quiet Landscape, an upcoming photography exhibition at PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury Vermont. I’m deeply grateful to photographers Jacob and Alissa Hessler for the selection as I have have admired their landscape images for many years. The title of each work in this series is a Japanese haiku which I composed of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five. I decided to use this form of expression for the titles to allow the viewer to experience the same feelings that I had when the image was taken. The exhibition will be on display from April 30 - May 21, 2021.
Launch Point: Weeki Wachee State Park Kayak Launch
Takeout Point: Rogers Park
Distance: 5.5 miles (one way)
Level of difficulty: Easy
Open: Sunrise to sunset
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Weeki Wachee is considered one of the finest spring runs in Florida, with its crystal clear turquoise water and abundant wildlife, including manatees, shore birds, and the occasional otter. In the summer, the run is especially popular with tourists and paddlers alike, and reservations must be made just to secure a spot on the river. Tom and I decide to paddle the run on our iROCKERSUPS in October, with fewer people and better chances for spotting the wild inhabitants of this unique place. Launching at Weeki Wachee State Park, we paddle upstream toward the recreational area before heading back down the spring run. Several things have conspired today so that we have this river almost totally to ourselves: Covid has closed the park to swimming; the shuttle is not running today (glad we have 2 cars); it’s October; the day is overcast (perfect says the photographer – not too contrasty) and it’s early – 8am. If all the rental kayaks they have here were on the water, it would be a zoo. Near the spring, the run is wide and deep, aquamarine against the white sand, with ribbons of grass waving sensuously in the current. Here the fish are large: a snook as long as my arm; a meal-size sheepshead.
The sign says 6 miles to Roger’s Park, but I double back many times for the photographer. I can hear the road…..civilization is so close, yet so far away from this amazing, beautiful waterway, laced in cypress and red maple, unseen and unknown by the travelers nearby. The sprays of red along the bank, Cardinal lobelia and Dahoon holly, with the red maple, give the feeling of fall. As we approach the entrance of a tannin (yellowish tea) colored canal, an amazing thing happens. The yellow and blue-green waters mix, becoming an emerald green. Almost immediately we spot a young manatee gliding under our SUP, munching on the grasses underneath the surface. Manatees are common here and can be seen year round. We take out at Rogers Park five hours later, after a leisurely paddle. This is an easy run with a mild current and spectacular scenery. We highly recommend a trip here, preferably in the spring, fall or winter when crowds will be at their lowest.
Weeki Wachee insider tips: Launch early or on weekdays to avoid crowds. The earliest launch time is 8am. Expert paddlers can launch at Rogers Park and paddling upstream against the current to enter the park. During the summer months reservations must be made in advance to secure a spot on the river. It is very very important you arrive on time because of the enforced limit of 70 boat launches per hour. Arrive 15-30 minutes before your reservation time to sign paperwork and waivers. Absolutely no disposable items will be allowed on the river. This includes but not limited to: Plastic, Aluminum, Glass, Styrofoam, Paper - All drinks and food must be in permanent containers.
iROCKER tip: Water levels can vary in the run. To avoid hitting downed trees and logs, take out your center fin and use your side fins to steer during periods of low water.
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is one of the oldest wildlife refuges in the United States. Established in 1931 as a wintering ground for migratory birds, it encompasses 68,000 acres and is one of the wildest places in the state of Florida. Using an infrared filter on my lens, I was able to take long exposures of the stunning landscapes here, opening up an unseen world of light that lies just beyond the visible spectrum that we see.
Betsy and I really enjoyed creating an article on Sweetwater Preserve and Sweetwater Wetlands Park near Gainesville for the latest issue of Arbus Magazine. Thanks to Cinda Sherman for featuring environmental success stories like this that will help protect Florida’s natural resources for future generations.
Recently, I had the unique opportunity to shoot Tal Hazelhurst, one of North Florida’s best surfboard shapers and the owner of Fish Bird Surf Surfboards. During the planning stages, I had one main goal in mind, creating images that convey the pure craft of shaping a surfboard by hand. Before any shoot, I always begin with sketches which help guide me through the assignment and often lead to other ideas as the shoot progresses. Next, Tal and I met at his shaping room and figured out the best angles for each photograph. Tal was very patient throughout the entire shoot and we ended up with some great images. Enjoy!
