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!
We have been growing orchids on our porch since January and they are coming to the end of their days as the heat of summer intensifies. I have been photographing them for several months in various conditions and ended my project today by shooting the wilting flowers that had recently fallen off the plants. I think in some ways, these are my favorite images. I used a macro lens, long exposures and light painting to capture their faded beauty one last time.
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.
