About
The Photographer
The Photographer
"It's one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like; it's another thing to make a portrait of who they are"
Paul Caponigro
INSPIRATION
Some time ago a fellow photographer asked me, "Why and for whom do you take photographs?" Maybe somewhat selfishly I answered, "First and foremost, for me." Reflecting on that response, I tried to be more introspective about its meaning. What was I trying to achieve emotionally when walking the streets of the world taking photos? What was I attempting to capture and share with others?
I am moved when I see people from all walks of life displaying true emotion - the depth of an aging face, tradespeople performing a lost art, the wonderment of a child, the heartbeat of a city. In other words, capturing emotion in time while respecting with dignity the unique fleeting moment. One of the greatest compliments that I have ever received was from a street musician upon sharing his portraits, he said "The hard road I've lived shows in every photo". As a photographer, I am most comfortable when immersed in the hustle and energy of a city. This is where I can capture images which are real, vibrant and unscripted. This is where I can memorialize emotions of the moment which are universal and make the world a smaller and friendlier place - whether it be a farmer in Cuba proudly standing in front of his newly plowed field, a carpet maker in India proudly showing a work of art one of his family members weaved, or a child wondering what it would be like to be a superhero. These are the true universal emotions of the world.
Each of my images is captured with permission from people willing to tell their stories. So many people are happy to share that unique moment. There is little to compare with the emotions experienced when turning the camera around to share the captured image. The smile, the proud reflection, the thumbs up, the respectful nod are all moments I get to share with the subject. That part is for us. That is also the emotion I hope to share with others as they experience my work.
The Equipment
I use state of the art photographic equipment yielding a truly unique photographic capability allowing a maximum level of creativity, exceptional image quality, color rendition, contrast, texture and detail.
In my bag
✔ Phase One medium format IQ4 150 mega pixel
✔ Phase One medium format IQ4 150 megapixel Achromatic
✔ XF Camera with Schneider Kreuznach lenses
✔ Phase One XT camera with Rodenstock lenses
✔ Leica M11 Camera with Leica Vintage and New Lenses