About Jim
Like all good photographers, I try to let you know what I feel about a scene, not just what I see. From my first viewing of the works of the photographers Edward Weston, Michael Kenna and Jay Dusard, I have been influenced by their styles. I have connected with their concept of using simplicity to assist in communicating the emotional depth felt when making an image.
As I pursued development of my own photographic style, I found that the black and white image worked best for me. I believe that the viewer can penetrate more easily and deeply into a personal interpretation of my images if I use this presentation format.
The subject of much of
my photography is the landscape of the
American West. Though I hadn’t traveled west of the
One of my favorite places and where I have spent a great deal of photographic time is the Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve in southwestern Colorado. I have found this vast landscape of dunes, tallest in North America and far from any lake or ocean, a challenge to interpret but continue to try. I felt honored when, as a result of my work there, the National Park Service appointed me an Artist-In-Residence in 2011. I consider some of the images I have made there to be among my best. I have continued to re-visit there, year after year, and have continued to be rewarded by the resulting prints.
Education and Methods
I have participated in what I call "independent studies in photography" through workshops and readings in the art and in the constant practice of making images for over 25 years. I have also been fortunate in having had the experience of meeting and studying with many great photographers - among them: Morley Baer, Howard Bond, Michael Kenna, Bruce Barnbaum and Jay Dusard.
I create all of my images in my traditional (chemical) darkroom, where I personally print all my archival silver gelatin, selenium toned images from film negatives. I incorporate no digital processes into any of my work as a matter of personal choice (rather than of "religious" dogma). While I, personally, am an adherent to traditional techniques, I have studied digital photographic processes and understand and appreciate the “power of the pixel” and the creative images now possible through digital capture and editing. A good photograph can be either traditional or digital.
I currently work exclusively in black & white, large format film photography. My main camera is an Ebony SV45Ti. My favorite lens is the Nikkor SW 90mm (equivalent to 27mm in 35mm format).
I also do all of the matting & framing of my prints. In this way, I feel connection with the entire work process and can control the quality of the displayed images from start to finish.
Teaching
In addition to working on my own photography, I also enjoy teaching the photographic arts at all levels from introductory to advanced.