It’s Just a Tree Photography Series
I’m fascinated by trees. Their form. Their environmental necessity. Their resilience. Their weirdness. And their stories.
Here are a few images of trees from my It’s Just a Tree series that I’ve collected using whatever camera I had on me at the time. 35mm film cameras, full frame digital cameras, iPhone, Polaroid, you name it. By showing these as a large group I hope to generate conversation about their similarities and differences. I hope to reveal their beauty and mystery. I hope to draw attention to their equitable personalities and worth.
Consider this collection an extension of my travel journals. My impressions of new and old friends. Most are still standing. Some have since passed. They stretch from as far as Kyoto, Japan to as close as Seward, NE. From Santa Barbara, California to Mount Desert Island, Maine. From Greenville, South Carolina to Kalaloch, Washington. Everything from old growth patriarchs to new growth saplings. Giant “Champion Trees” to no-name seedlings. Each a miracle in their own right. Each worthy of observation and study.
Paper photography series
This concept came from the idea of trying to accept and find comfort in an environment that is wholly uncomfortable. The cleanliness of a figure in a pure white environment wrapped in material that accentuated every wrinkle allowed me to focus on form and how our body changes and functions in a space. The use of large amounts of paper underscores our tendency to be unaware of, and perhaps embrace, our wastefulness and destruction. Perhaps it has become so commonplace that we hold on tight to it, or get swallowed up in it, or ignore it completely to achieve a false sense of tranquility.
Special thanks to Jordyne Vanselow for assisting me with this project.
Truth Photography Series
Sometimes, truth is welcomed. Sometimes, not so much. Truth exposes more of ourselves than what we are sometimes comfortable with. But character isn’t built through comfort. Truth forces us to shed selfish artificiality. With time, and perspective, we see how our battles with truth are what form us and make us contemplative beings.
Articulating existential moments is nearly impossible to do in a moment. These photographs are not so much an attempt to narrow the impact of truth, but to establish uniformity through symbolism. These images attempt to capture feelings, responses, and individuality when confronted with that which we can not ignore.
Certain stylistic consistencies were important to build a unifying perspective: Photographs were lit using the same single light source, shot using the same 35mm focal length, and intentionally photographed vertically. The black and white photography, coupled with the high contrast images, reduce false glamour and instead help focus on the interaction light has with the individual. The subjects’ response and exposure to the light symbolizes our human reaction to truth.
