Bio
I have always enjoyed the out-of-doors, especially the plant world. My career as an instrumental music teacher did not keep me from gardening and exploring natural areas with my children and my camera.
After many years of photographing nature in color with 35mm cameras, I moved into the world of black and white large format photography. Tom Potter, photographer and naturalist,expanded my vision of photography by introducing me to the history of photography and the great masters who inspire and define photography as fine art. In addition, Tom taught me the technical skills of black and white film photography and the artistry of darkroom printing. Additional studies with master printer/photographer, Howard Bond of Ann Arbor, Michigan, were important in my progress.
My photographs have been exhibited in Indianapolis and Zionsville, Indiana; the Tsongas Gallery at Walden Pond, Concord, Massachusetts; Pictura Gallery in Bloomington, Indiana; and in the Paul Paletti Gallery in Louisville, Kentucky. In January 2008 my botanical photography was featured on the cover and as the lead article in View Camera Magazine, an international journal of large format photography.
General Technical Information
After many years of nature photography using color slide film, I have found that I prefer the black and white medium for my artistic vision. I enjoy the shapes and forms, the texture and play of light that is revealed in a black and white photograph.
All images are taken with a Wista 4” x 5” Technical Field camera or a Ansco 5”x7” camera using Kodak T-Max 400 sheet film. The negatives are developed in Kodak XTOL. An unsharp mask (Kodak T-Max 100 film) is used with each negative.
Enlargers include a Besler 4X5 enlarger with a V54 cold light with a Schneider f/5.6 Componon 150 mm lens and a Durst 138S with a three lens turret and adjustable curtain negative carrier.
The images are printed on Ilford Multigrade IV FB glossy paper, developed in Ilford PQ developer, fixed in Photographers’ Formulary TF-4 Archival Rapid Fixer, and toned in Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner. Each print is washed in an Alistair Inglis Cross-Jet Archival Washer for archival permanence.