Explorer of structure and form and figure. Maker of digital tools for artists. Educator and writer detailing creative processes.
"Encourage artistic creativity." This was my response to a friend's challenge to define a three word mission statement of my life. This pursuit can be broken down into different ideas that all add back up to those three words. The three sentences at the top of this page express three paths to my goal. I encourage by example as a photographer, by making good tools, and by sharing knowledge of how the tools work and can be used by others.
My photography explores the humanistic patterns of the world. This is not limited to the man-made. It includes the natural world. There really is no separating one from the other. Nature inspires architecture and engineering and art. We ourselves are natural objects. We interact with one another, but also with other animals and plants and with the world itself. Together or individually, these subjects appear in my images. They are an exploration of us.
Being at the right place at the right time can be invaluable. Working as a software engineer for Adobe on Photoshop as the digital photography revolution exploded everywhere had an immeasurable impact on my life. In addition to learning some of the best tools from some of the best people, I contributed to what was being made. The deep and wide world of digital art needs good tools. The tools can make simple things easier or make complex, precise things possible. This makes my day job more than just chasing a paycheck.
All teaching takes a lot of time and patience and determination. It is a hopeful endeavor. Sharing knowledge of the tools and the craft of using them can be a rewarding struggle. It also implies a continuous gathering of knowledge, which furthers my own education into the tools, techniques, history, and thinking of photography. Working with students (of all ages) sharpens my own thinking on photography, influencing the direction I pursue in my artistic path.