Your Bio

Artist Statement:

My photographic goal is to show the viewer something they’ve missed.

Bio:

My photographic journey began in earnest over a decade ago with a trip to Japan. Having been a traveler since infancy, I had reached a point photographically where I was fed up with the way my prints of places like the Grand Canyon, Belize, Australia, Tahiti, Hawaii, Mexico, and countless other exotic locales, were inferior to the photographs I was seeing in travel magazines. So before leaving L.A. for Japan, I bought myself a professional 35mm Canon EOS3 with a Tamron 28-200mm lens, and instantly noticed a remarkable improvement in quality.

Still not completely satisfied, I enrolled in a color photography class at an adult annex of Santa Monica College. With that one class I realized how much I not only love, but at times, am addicted to photography, and soon after I enrolled in the photography program at SMC and progressed through BW, color printing, commercial, portrait, flash, and photoshop.

Today I'm a freelance photographer with over 190 publishing credits. My subject matter is guided by my many interests and includes landscapes, citiscapes, travel, nature, people, music, still movie productions, religious symbols, and nudes.

My clients include All Access Magazine, Music Connection, Strutter Magazine, San Gabriel Press, Pasadena Star News, Whittier Daily News, the State of Alaska's official tourist website (http://www.travelalaska.com), Arizona Office of Tourism, Faith and Form Magazine, Sfarzo guitar strings, Peerless Guitars, Mills Acoustic, and the feature film "Sin-Jin Smyth." In addition to my growing client list, prints from various photographic series have been exhibited at Infusion Gallery ("Morning Dream" series), the Spring Arts Collective Gallery ("Limbs of Wisdom" series); Kopeikin Gallery (print "View of the Sound"); LaFoto Gallery (print "Fiddle"); and Santa Monica College Photo Gallery (print "Who Is She"). Additionally, in 2007 two of my images, "Malibu Pier at Midnight" and "Great White Shark Feeding," achieved finalist awards and were published in the 2007 Photographer's Forum Magazine Annual.

My camera medium today is as varied as my subject matter, and depends mostly on my vision of the final print. My primary camera is my digital Canon 5D with a Canon 20D as a back-up. I also use: 35mm Canon EOS3; medium format Hasselblad 500 c/m; large format Shin Hao; Polaroid Land 330.

Current projects include: Catholic Symbols involving all 21 of the California missions; Nature's Paintings; an inspirational project encompassing both landscape and Catholic symbols; a seedy Swimming Pool series; an artistic environmental nude series; and a long range Polaroid project.

In addition to my photography, I am also writing a book entitled "A Childless Man's Adventures in Parenting."

Friends & Family

Galleries

Swimming Pool : This project came about after months of looking out my apartment living room window at my swimming pool thinking there had to be something there to photograph.  Several photos later I finally found my direction and presentation for this project.  These images represent that vision: "a psych ward pool."

Swimming Pool

This project came about after months of looking out my apartment livin ...

Updated: Jan 09, 2009 8:28am PST

Kauai : Travel and Landscape images from the Hawaiian island of Kauai'i

Kauai

Travel and Landscape images from the Hawaiian island of Kauai'i

Updated: Aug 22, 2008 8:34am PST

My Smug Mug :

My Smug Mug

Updated: Nov 06, 2008 12:34pm PST

POOL TABLE : My "Pool Table" photo project began back in 2004 with my BW photography class final.  The final project involved creating a five shot story about something, anything.  At the time of the project I lived roughly 90 yards from a dive bar so my choice of a pool table was an easy one.  And being a frequent visitor to the bar access to the pool table wasn't a problem.  On a Saturday afternoon I walked into the bar with my tripod, my cable release, and my 35mm Canon EOS3 and produced a wonderful five shot sequence  that earned me not only an "A" for the final and class but compliments on my editorial sequencing.  To this day I have never scanned or reprinted those original 11x14 BW images, but someday I will.

POOL TABLE

My "Pool Table" photo project began back in 2004 with my BW photograph ...

Updated: Apr 06, 2006 11:19am PST

All Access Magazine Awards Show 2007 : 2007 All Access Magazine awards show live performance and backstage photo's at The Knitting Factory, Hollywood.

All Access Magazine Awards Show 2007

2007 All Access Magazine awards show live performance and backstage ph ...

Updated: Nov 16, 2007 9:51am PST

Animals : Photographs of the various animals I've encountered along my many excursions.

Animals

Photographs of the various animals I've encountered along my many excu ...

Updated: May 12, 2008 8:27am PST

Arizona :

Arizona

Updated: May 29, 2009 4:40pm PST

Sand Dunes : Landscape and abstract photographs from the death valley sand dunes and Point Reyes sand dunes.

Sand Dunes

Landscape and abstract photographs from the death valley sand dunes an ...

Updated: May 12, 2008 8:24am PST

JOSHUA TREE : Images taken within the Joshua Tree National Park.

JOSHUA TREE

Images taken within the Joshua Tree National Park.

Updated: Mar 03, 2009 12:50pm PST

Road Trip : Landscape, travel, and abstract photos from my many road trips throughout Arizona, California, and Nogales Mexico.

Road Trip

Landscape, travel, and abstract photos from my many road trips through ...

Updated: May 12, 2008 8:22am PST

Grand Canyon : Images from trips to and into the Grand Canyon from the south rim.

Grand Canyon

Images from trips to and into the Grand Canyon from the south rim.

Updated: Apr 16, 2009 7:59am PST

Catholic symbols : I started my Catholic symbols photo project in Arizona in early November 2005 with a single photo - an iron gate with a cross - at San Xavier del Bac.  However, the original photograph turned out too blurry.  Two weeks later I returned to Arizona  to backpack the grand canyon but also to return to San Xavier del Bac to photograph the gate properly with a tripod.  From that one photograph I haven't stopped photographing various catholic symbols within and around the missions in Arizona and the 21 California missions.  As of June 2008 only one mission in California has yet to be visited and photographed - Santa Cruz.  My goal is to complete the primary photography for this project by July 2008.  After completion of the primary photography I will begin the process of selecting images for two yet to be named photo books.

Catholic symbols

I started my Catholic symbols photo project in Arizona in early Novemb ...

Updated: Dec 02, 2008 1:37pm PST

Sunrise / Sunset : Photographs taken during sunrise and sunset from Arizona, California deserts, on a shark boat in the Pacific Ocean, and anywhere along the way.

Sunrise / Sunset

Photographs taken during sunrise and sunset from Arizona, California d ...

Updated: Oct 29, 2008 8:46am PST

Two Guns Ghost Town : Two Guns ghost town, Arizona, 2006

When I first pulled off the highway I was planning on heading out to Canyon Diablo.  But since Two Guns was just off the highway, and didn't require 20 miles of driving on a dirt, rock strewn, pot hole infested track, one not suited for a rental 4-cylinder car, I decided Two Guns was a better option.  

The shoot started out plainly with the gray clouds sucking out the life in the rocks and buildings.  But sometime are 3:30 on a November afternoon the sun dipped below the gray clouds and poured liquid gold light onto the remains of this town for 15 minutes.  Not knowing how long the light would last I worked quick to reshoot what I had previously shot with gray diffused light.  The end result is presented here.

Two Guns Ghost Town

Two Guns ghost town, Arizona, 2006 When I first pulled off the high ...

Updated: May 12, 2008 8:34am PST

Saguaro cactus : Saguaro cactus, Arizona, 2006

Saguaro cactus

Saguaro cactus, Arizona, 2006

Updated: May 28, 2009 7:48am PST

GREAT WHITE SHARK : GREAT WHITE SHARK, Isla Guadelupe 2006

GREAT WHITE SHARK

GREAT WHITE SHARK, Isla Guadelupe 2006

Updated: May 12, 2008 8:33am PST

OZZFEST 2006 (San Bernadino) : OZZFEST 2006 (San Bernadino)

OZZFEST 2006 (San Bernadino)

OZZFEST 2006 (San Bernadino)

Updated: Jul 20, 2006 12:22pm PST

Alaska : Alaska salmon fishing, Alaskan grizzly bears, bald eagles

Alaska

Alaska salmon fishing, Alaskan grizzly bears, bald eagles

Updated: Mar 26, 2008 6:42pm PST

Nikstock 2006 : Nikstock 2006 music festival at Irvine Lake (5/12/06 & 5/13/06)

Nikstock 2006

Nikstock 2006 music festival at Irvine Lake (5/12/06 & 5/13/06)

Updated: May 24, 2006 7:56am PST

Malibu Pier : Malibu Pier at midnight

Malibu Pier

Malibu Pier at midnight

Updated: Apr 24, 2006 8:39am PST

NIGHTMARE at Paladino's (3/10/06) : Los Angeles based Alice Cooper tribute band Nightmare.

NIGHTMARE at Paladino's (3/10/06)

Los Angeles based Alice Cooper tribute band Nightmare.

Updated: Jun 16, 2008 9:17pm PST

glass : As a music photographer and journalist I often find myself in a club with a drink waiting for a band to hit the stage, sometimes late.  These are photographs of my tequila glasses, taken to keep the creativity flowing and the boredom at a minimum.

glass

As a music photographer and journalist I often find myself in a club w ...

Updated: Sep 03, 2008 12:24pm PST

Chairs :

Chairs

Updated: Mar 08, 2006 11:09am PST

Fiddle : fiddle

Fiddle

fiddle

Updated: Jan 11, 2006 8:18am PST

Vineyard: After The Harvest : Images within this gallery are from various wine tasting trips through the Alexander Valley and Dry Creek areas in Sonoma County.

Vineyard: After The Harvest

Images within this gallery are from various wine tasting trips through ...

Updated: Feb 17, 2009 7:47am PST

Leaves and Flowers :

Leaves and Flowers

Updated: Dec 30, 2008 8:15am PST

Abandoned : As I travel around I come across many interesting and forgotten things.  These are only a few of those things.

Abandoned

As I travel around I come across many interesting and forgotten things ...

Updated: May 27, 2009 8:43am PST

Route 40, Baltimore : These images were taken while driving through Baltimore Maryland along Route 40.

Route 40, Baltimore

These images were taken while driving through Baltimore Maryland along ...

Updated: Apr 16, 2009 7:57am PST

Train Ride : Traveling from BWI Airport to Newark Airport I snapped these images between catnaps.

Train Ride

Traveling from BWI Airport to Newark Airport I snapped these images be ...

Updated: Apr 15, 2009 8:28am PST

Washington DC : These images were taken during a recent trip through Washington DC and Virginia.

Washington DC

These images were taken during a recent trip through Washington DC and ...

Updated: Apr 16, 2009 8:07am PST