This journal is a nexus between the visual and the verbal.

I have a strong inclination to let the photographs speak for themselves. I have an even stronger inclination to provide a more complete package, a space where you and I can talk about these photographs and explore the backroads of black and white photography. The dualism stems from my first “real job” after college as a writer/photographer for a U.S. Air Force base newspaper.

Gradually, my work with words and messages as a corporate communciations executive supplanted my daily photography . But photography still held me in its grip; I switched from daily “journalistic” assignments to experiencing the gratification of fewer images on larger negatives.

It seemed natural that my Website would include a forum to exchange ideas about black and white photography, in addition to the expected gallery.

If I read the words above on someone else’s site, my b.s. alerts would begin flashing about now. I’m aware that artists who write about their own work are often self-absorbed pontificators or engage in arcane obscurity as an affect.

Someone stop me if I do that.

My goal is to add a dimension to the work itself that enhances your experience of the photographs. My model is Ansel Adams in his book Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs. (1983, Little, Brown and Co). Ansel writes not only of the technique, but the encounter, of each photographic example.

When he photographed the iconic image Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico 1941, Ansel had misplaced his light meter, calculated the exposure from his knowledge of moon luminance, and by the time he flipped his film holder for a second shot, he had lost the “sweet light.” The resulting negative was extremely difficult to print.

Learning these facts from his writing makes viewing Moonrise a richer experience for me. Ansel also tells of his spots, stains, scratches and careless mistakes, which brings him even closer to my heart.
This journal allows you to participate in the discussion and perhaps compare some of your aesthetic and practical experiences. It’s like a gallery opening without the pretense. And the wine’s likely better if it’s from your own cellar. Experience the photographs and express your thoughts.

How the journal operates

I want the site to be entertaining and stimulating to visitors and avoid the

“Nice pitchers!!!!!

Ciao!!!

Mookie”

comments like those one sees in participative restaurant guides and the like.

I will act as moderator of the blog. Anyone can submit comments, but posting is my prerogative. The visual work comes first, so the verbal side may not receive daily attention.