About
Introduction
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Photographically, when people think of California, they most often think of Ansel Adams' Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. They think of towering, fog shrouded redwoods. They think of the Big Sur coast and golden yellow poppies in the Antelope Valley. They think of the Golden Gate Bridge. What people don't typically think of is the Sacramento Valley and the surrounding hills and mountains.
And yet, I find the north state to be one of the richest areas I’ve encountered for landscape photography. It is the very lack of dramatic features and recognizable subjects in this part of the state that drives my work. Rather than attempt to photograph what thousands have already portrayed, I prefer to work on subjects that are not overtly dramatic or immediately recognizable, for the very reason that I feel free to openly explore my own vision without the baggage of previous photographers.
What interests me most in landscape work is finding those subjects that make a strong emotional statement about the landscape. Most often, to me, that means showing a single isolated subject in a vast environment. As a result, my images have typically very simple compositions that exhibit a lot of open space and depth. Often, I use the sky to provide the sense of space and scale that appeals to me. Northern California – the foothills ringing the Sacramento Valley in particular – is ideal for this type of work.
Equipment
Many photographers are obsessed by equipment, but I place more emphasis on the vision of the photographer, not the equipment used to capture the image. I've been shooting digtally since 2003, and in fact have all but retired my Mamiya 645 Pro in favor of my Canon 5D. The versitality of digital wins out in almost every instance.
| Bodies | Mamiya 645 Pro Canon 5D 12.8 Magapixel DSLR |
| Lenses | Mamiya 35mm f/3.5 Canon 17-40mm f/4 L |
| Tripods | Manfrotto 3021BPro w/ Bogen 488 ball head and quick release |