Your life is a story
A beautiful home can be an expression of the people living in it, celebrating them with a sense of style. Thoughtful design can speak of heritage, travel, passions and accomplishments. Designers and architects know this and it’s what matters most, an almost ineffable sense of being in a well-designed space of peace and inspiration.
I offer a collaborative approach to making beautiful images that convey the intention behind your creation. Tell me the stories of the retreats, homes and places of work. What drove the choices that were made? What are some of the ideas presented in your design that make them yours? How did you address problems and challenges that presented themselves during your creative process? Let my images help tell these stories.
My story
When I was 10 years old, I purchased my first camera at a neighborhood garage sale for 50 cents. A black and white plastic box camera called a Panda. My family’s suburban Chicago home, our cats and my garden were among my earliest subjects. A few years later, my dad let me play with his MInolta 35mm camera he purchased while serving in the Air Force in the Philippines. Fascinated by nature, I would wander with my camera into the woods to capture the colors of autumn reflecting in a nearby lake. I turned my camera to the clouds and the textures of the countryside. Indoors, I spent time creating miniature cityscapes by stacking books into little skyscrapers or making miniature houses out of pieces of cardboard, then lighting them with flashlights or with something from toy company Hasbro called a “Lite Bright”. What emerged in me was an appreciation for the interplay of light, materials and shapes. I was cultivating a structural and compositional understanding of the world. I was once asked to define myself with one sentence, to which I responded, I am an agent of observation. Gradually, I began to merge my interests in photography with this structural and spacial appreciation.
The Tools
Lighting is the base of everything in photography. When possible, I study my locations prior to shooting to confirm best time-of-day to capture images. Being in the right place at the right time may require me to shoot pre-dawn or post sunset. After the shoot, I use several software programs to correct color, bring out highlight and shadow detail, correct parallax and other forms of distortion. Utility lines, adjacent structures and code requirements can bring unwanted items into images that should showcase your design. I bring a sensitivity to retouching that results in images that honor your design.
Our Story
Your vision in collaboration with my skills and experience will co-create your final images. I’m based in San Francisco and Palm Springs, California. I look forward to working with you. Let’s discuss your project. I’m here for you.
