I shoot pictures because it draws me out from the words and thoughts bouncing around in my head, and brings me to open my eyes and notice my surroundings as raw and immediate perceptions. I see so much more with a camera in my hand, and that seeing gives me great joy.

I have been shooting since I was a kid. In high school, I was a yearbook photographer, which meant that I got to shoot a lot with the yearbook paying for the film. I also developed a comfort in hiding behind a camera, having a purpose in being present and staring at what was going on around me without having to feel like I had to be part of it. I got to go lots of places and observe people in a lot of ways that I otherwise could not or would not have done. I liked that a lot.

I haven’t changed much. I would much rather snipe shots of people being who they really are than fabricate nice portraits with staged smiles. I am just not interested in trying to give others what they want. My interest is in seeing, and sharing what I see with the hope that others might share my joy in seeing.

Some photographers are predominantly camera artists, and dislike and so barely half learn the technology of the digital photography process. That’s not me. I am a nerd photographer. I like the dials, buttons and sliders. I like making multiple exposure panoramas, HDRs and focus stacks. I like the challenge of shooting difficult subjects. I like trying new things and using weird lenses.

I currently shoot a Nikon Z9, and a D800E that has been converted to infrared. I have a range of lenses from fisheye to long telephoto and a lot of other toys. I use my 14-24 mm and my long telephoto a lot. I seldom shoot within the so called normal range, from 35 to 60 mm. I usually use a 70-200 mm for people shoots and a 105 mm macro for detail shoots, sometimes with a teleconverter. I finish photos, starting in DxO PhotoLab for raw conversion, then in Lightroom and usually Photoshop, then in Topaz Photo AI for sharpening, then back to Lightroom for final touches. I also use the Silver Effects Pro plug in from Nik Collection for some black and whites. I post photos on Flickr and in Google Maps.