Just Like Bill Owens’ Suburbia

I love the work in Suburbia by Bill Owens from 1972. Here he explains how he reached out to his community to get access to photograph them: "I put ads about the project in the local newspaper, asking people to let me photograph their kids, garage, dog, etc. Everyone was wide open; they would say,...

The Value of the Documentary Photograph

As you know, I have a camera everywhere I go and Christmas Eve with friends was no exception. They always have a houseful of family and friends and you can count on there being a sing-along of holiday carols. I made the choice of a Pentax MX with a fast 28mm f2 lens knowing that...

Glass Plate Photography: Glimpse Into the Past, A Snapshot For the Ages

I went to a local garage sale and there were glass negatives for sale, a whole box for $3. For the price of a coffee, I got a collection of 4x5 glass slides that each probably cost the subject a considerable amount of their weekly paycheck to make. Which makes me ask two questions: 1)...

The Finest for Your Family: Statement Artwork, Iconic Portraits on 8×10 Film

Legacy artworks--they’re not just for the U.S. President and First Lady. Most people would say that for portraits of their family, "Eh, digital is good enough." The thing is, YOU'RE not most people. Neither am I. We're the ones who seek the finest, the best--that's who we are. We care about quality. We can't accept...

Backyard Families: A Photography Project

I’ve found backyard parties a quite magical place where families come together and are most able to be themselves. Working as a photojournalist, I have been documenting backyard parties for years and continue to add to the Backyard Families photography series collection, whether it’s a dinner party, a photograph of three generations of a family...

“Just Let Me Shoot the End of this Roll”

You know when you're ready to develop film, but you still have a handful of frames left and you hate to waste them? After all, film is pricey. What do you do? You call your spouse or other family member or a friend (perhaps a furry one) to make a few quick photos. Or you...

Collecting Family, Friends & People I Meet

Sometimes people see me carrying a film camera wherever I go, sometimes a Leica or Nikon rangefinder, sometimes a Rolleiflex twin lens reflex, and ask me what do I photograph. I explain it's not what, it's who. Who do I photograph? Well, the answer to their question is everyone. My family, sure. Friends, yep. People...

The Prestige of an Annual Family Album Like a New Model Year Car

Most people don't bother to have family photographs made anymore. They figure they have a phone and they make pictures all the time, that's good enough. That's thinking small. Not big. When the automobile industry was young, a salesman suggested they make a new model every year. The sales manager asked. "Why would we do...

“I’m in the Picture Business.”

People ask why I shoot film, when digital is so much easier. First of all, who said the easiest art is the best art? Then we wouldn't have sculpture (too difficult), oil paintings (too hard to clean the brushes), or other myriad art forms. But the main reason is I am a photographer who makes...

Photography Doesn’t Work Anymore As A Way To Relive Moments (In the Short Term)

I have a dilemma. I went to friends' family gathering celebrating their grandson turning one. The big "one"! They are a beautiful family and I looked forward to going and of course brought a camera. That's always the big decision: Do I take a film camera, a Leica M5 with a 50mm f1.4 Summilux or...