Super excited that this image of Braedon Smith at the Poles has been juried into LIGHT, an upcoming fine art photo exhibition at the Southeast Center for Photography in Greenville SC. Thanks to Braedon and the Poles surf family for all your encouragement and support over the last two years as my photography journey continues. Other work selected for LIGHT can be found here.
This was a fun and exciting project that I really enjoyed working on. The concept was simple. Photograph 30 doorways and entrances in the downtown St. Augustine area and feature them over 30 days on the St. John’s County Cultural Council Instagram page. I think these images show the true hospitality of the oldest city in America.
Proud to have “Evening Light at McCormick Bridge” selected for the 2020 Camera USA® Exhibition which will be held later this year in Naples, Florida. Now in its tenth year, this national competition features recent work in color and black & white photography by photographers from across the United States. Jurors included Leigh Gleason, Director of collections at the University of California Museum of Photography, Susan Spiritus, gallery director of the Susan Spiritus Fine Art Photography Gallery in Irvine California and David Albers, a commercial and editorial photographer based in Naples Florida. I have been entering this competition for several years and this is my first selection. Hard work does pay off.
A self portrait entitled “Through the Narrow Gate” has been juried into Dreamscapes and Visions, a fine art photography exhibition that will take place later this year at Photo Place Gallery in Vermont. This is one image from a self portrait series called Body & Soul, which explores some of the deep personal beliefs and experiences that continue to shape my life. I begin by taking a photograph of my body that becomes the canvas on which I overlay the other photograph, the soul of the image.
Here is the Juror’s Statement from fine art photographer Susan Burnstine.
“As a working artist who interprets dreams into photographic visions, it was a great pleasure to review images from likeminded visionaries around the world. I want to thank each individual who took a personal leap of faith and submitted to this call. It is never easy to ask another to consider your work and it was an honor to spend time visiting your unique world of dreams. And once again, thank you to PhotoPlace Gallery for entrusting me to curate a show that is so close to my heart.
The greatest difficulty in selecting from such a comprehensive collection was to hone submissions to form the very best reflection of the theme. This is a responsibility I take seriously as I too began my career submitting to group shows and know the hopes and disappointments connected to the process all too well. With that in mind, I spent an immense amount of time reviewing every image until I selected the final thirty-five exhibition and online images.
It is my hope that you will close your eyes, take a deep breath, then open your eyes and leap into this collection of personal dreamscapes and visions distinct to each creator’s inner worlds.”
I was recently interviewed by Jacksonville Magazine and they featured this image for the inside back cover. “When returning by plane to the Jacksonville International Airport, I always look out the window to get a peek at our estuaries. They are truly awe inspiring and I wanted to capture that unique point of view using a drone. These environments are some of the most productive ecosystems on the planet and serve as natural filters for pollution, buffers against hurricanes, nurseries for wildlife and home to many species of birds, fish and invertebrates.”
As an editorial photographer, I’m documenting the shelter in place order currently in effect for Jacksonville and its surrounding communities including the beaches. An eerie silence has reigned here since the order began that I hope will end soon.
I’m elated that NYC gallery director Darren Ching juried in two of my photographs for the NYC4PA photography exhibition titled Decay, Corrosion, Rust 2020. Mr. Ching selected 50 images from over 1700 entries and I was awarded a second place with cash prize.
The two photographs were from Faces of the Alcazar, a photography project documenting 90 year old magazine clippings still attached to the walls of a closed section in the Lightner Museum. I discovered these during a recent photo shoot and was immediately drawn to them on many levels. Once the servants quarters of the former Alcazar Hotel, they were most likely added by the Irish and Italian immigrants who served the wealthy patrons of the hotel. For me, these faded fragments of the past evoke the ephemeral nature of memory and fame.
Proud to have one of my photographs selected by juror Claudia Sohrens for the New York Center for Photographic Art’s Secondary Colors Exhibition. A drone image titled Lagoa das Sete Cidades, was one of 50 chosen from over 800 submissions. The mission of the NYCPA is to provide exhibition opportunities in the vibrant New York City gallery world to photographers around the globe. NYC4PA offers international, themed, open call competitions juried by recognized experts in the field of photography. To see all the work selected for this interesting show, visit https://www.nyc4pa.com/primary-colors-2019
I believe photography can be an instrument for positive change in the world. With that in mind, I submitted this image to National Geographic for their Planet or Plastic photo competition, part of Natgeo’s multiyear effort to raise awareness about the global plastic waste crisis.
I’m grateful that it was one of only 25 photographs selected from over 13,000 submissions for the Planet or Plastic exhibition at Photofest, an international photography festival held in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. We decided to attend and had a great time exploring the city, meeting NatGeo editors, staff and photographers. In keeping with the Planet or Plastic theme, the entire exhibition was displayed on cardboard kiosks that will be recycled. Amazing!!
I’m excited to be partnering with the Timucuan Parks Foundation on a video for their 25th Anniversary exhibition at the Museum of Science and History. I’ve been shooting drone footage for the last two weeks of some amazing environments in Duval County and will share the finished video with you once it is completed in late October. In the meantime, here are some stills from recent flights. These include Round Marsh, Little Talbot Island, Hanna Park and Bird Lagoon near Big Talbot Island State Park. Enjoy!
