On the creative process:
“I am a photographer first and foremost - a purist.  The quality and content of my images doesn’t depend on film or silicon; it depends on my vision.  So there is virtually no difference in the result if I shoot with film or a media card.  (There’s also little difference if I shoot with a small pocket digital or my DSLR) I use my depth of experience to create during the actual shooting process.  My control is totally focused on the camera.  There’s something about a tangible piece of film that I still love – but I always operate now with a digital workflow. 

On image content:
“I am a maverick:  an abstract photographer in a sea of social documentary, nature, and landscape photographers.  I want people to be confused, to find my work ambiguous.  You see, I think the thrill is in the not-knowing rather than the knowing.  How many times have you looked at an image and seen something new each time?  Not often I would imagine.  My images look simple, but they are actually elegant and quite complex. What’s it look like to you?

On gear:
“Only hard core photographers really care about this stuff.  In my early years (well, my really early years I used a Brownie Starflash), I used Nikons, view cameras, Leicas, and a Rolleiflex. I moved to Olympus gear for the next 25 years: Olympus OM2 and 3 lenses – 21mm f3.5, 50mm macro f 3.5, and 100 mm f2.8.  When that was stolen in Spain while on assignment, I quickly replaced it with a Canon EOS 300 and a Tamron 28-200mm macro f3.8.  I always shoot Fujichrome Provia 100, or 400 if I need more speed.  After using Kodachrome 64 for decades, Fuji became my first choice.  I shoot available light and prefer the early mornings or late afternoons – the best times without shadows.  When it came to my first digital investment, I chose the Olympus C2020.  My creativity soars because I treat it casually, not as a serious camera.  Ironically it has all the features and more than all my old gear combined!  As I became more familiar with its features, I stepped up to the Olympus C5060 and then to the Canon EOS D20 (8.2 megs).  I also have a Canon XTi body with 10.1 megs.  Full circle with equipment, I now use a Canon 100mm f2.8 macro primary, Tamron 18 – 250 zoom, Tamron 11-18 wide zoom, and a Canon Speedlite 580EX flash.  I’ve fully returned to the realm of ‘gear’ and love the immediacy of digital!  As a pocket-sized digital, I travel with a Casio Exilim Z850 with a whopping 8.1 megs!

On process:
“I use Photoshop CS3, of course, as a ‘lightroom’ tool.  My files require very little correction in color or form.  I rarely do any manipulation except occasionally for size (I like to stretch or square the image).  If there is something that needs to be tweaked, it’s easy to do in Photoshop.  I’ve used it for over 10 years now but I rely on my manual (and colleagues) for anything other than the basics.

On digital:
“I was slow to enter the digital realm.  For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why I would want to spend more time on the computer, printing my own photos.  As it is, my digital lightroom (Nikon Super Coolscan 5000ED, Epson Perfection 2450 Photo scanner, Epson R2400, HP Officejet 7410, Wacom tablet, two Maxtor One Touch External Drives, and Nixvue Digital Album) provides me with plenty of tools.  But then I decided to get a small digital camera – one that was easy to carry and had features that would keep me engaged.  I chose the Olympus because I really am a lover of their equipment.  At first I didn’t use it much, but then instead of my small Rollei, I started to travel with my C2020.  I had almost infinite control over the image on the spot.  Now with my Canon EOS 20D & XTi DSLRs I find my ability to re-vision my world even more exciting!”