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...

A Treasure Chest of Colorado 4×5 Glass and Film Negatives

Perusing the local flea market, I passed by hundreds of cordless drills and saws, Carhartt jackets, and a plethora of household items as I scoured the rows of offerings for anything photographic. On one table at the back of the third row, I saw a bin filled with hundreds of 4x5 glass and film negatives....

Choosing To Approach a Scene Differently

When I was a staff photographer at a daily NJ newspaper, I could measure the passing of the year if I was photographing a Black Friday story, an Easter festival or some other annually-occurring event. I'd pick up the assignment sheet and think, "Didn't I just photograph this? Has it really been a year?" Last...

Your Photography, Your Story

I think about what I make for street photographs, street portraits, and documentary photographs and how altogether they add up to my story. They tell you how I see, what I see, and the way I see it. It's a connection for you to my world, places I've been, and people I've met and seen....

Two Ways to Eat a Slice of Pie

Digital photography is holding a slice of pumpkin pie plucked by hand from the pan and scarfing it down over the sink in seconds. It's delicious but it's gone quite quickly. It's a phone photo that's sent out for a glance and a swipe. That's what it's made for, not for long-studied looks. A quick...

The Photographers’ Show, Saturday Night 7p.m., Tickets $10

I have an idea. (When don't I?) I want to find a location to start a monthly salon where photographers show their work on a large screen and invite a paying audience to see their work, money some of which goes back to the photographers. Perhaps a $10 ticket price. When I look at the...

Meet at the Meat Market

There's something about signage and markets. From all the way back to the Walker Evans documentary days, there's something to photographing signs to save today for a future audience. To look back on someday when things are no longer the way they are today. This is what drew me to photograph this meat market in...

Latest Portraits for The Wise Photo Project

Here are a couple of portraits for The Wise Photo Project. The couple's photograph was made with a Graflex Speed Graphic 4x5 on Kodak Tmax film. I am always looking for those moments that reveal a little bit about the subject. The first gentleman's laugh certainly is one. These legacy portraits are created for people...

Amid Billions of Photographs, Where Are the Visionaries?

I'm an optimist. An encourager. I want to be a positive force in others' lives. I believe we can do anything we set out to do if we're willing to do the work. I am known to encourage young photographers that they can, too, as long as they stick to their own vision. I wrote...

Wanna See Some Good Street Photographs?

Here are some that tell a story. These photographs were all made during a five-day visit to New York City, October 31-November 4, 2022. NY Subway Riders The NY Subway is tiring. Here we get a little connection and a moment shared between a couple. For that same reason, this next one also works. We...