Church of the Living and the Dead - Rural Missouri Photograph - Limited Edition of 8

First off I wouldn't have evolved this far as an artist without the deep friendship of two very special shooters...Chipp Jamison and Keith Williamson. And I wouldn't have understood anything about technique and 'seeing' without my longtime mentor and friend, Phil Zimmerman. It was suggested that I talk about what motivates me to That's always been difficult for me. I've always held to DH Lawrence's warning of 'Never Trust the Teller; Trust the Tale'. So here goes..When my camera and lens come up to my eye everything changes in me. My eye, brain, heart body and soul align. I become a part of. And it's a magical and glorious feeling...a physical rush as well as a spiritual one. My nose is crushed against my face; I realize I'm not breathing. All of me is concentrated on what I see through the viewfinder and flowing to that image. I see it; I feel it; my pulse is racing; I rapidly bracket (an old habit from my analog days) because I want the moment to last; and I know exactly what it's going to look like when I download it to Photoshop. I have this same experience whether the subject is rust on old cars, the Dunes, People, news events, my Mannequin, Landscapes, Water, or Flowers. And the best aspect of photography for me is that I get to experience all the joy of that one image over and over. There are a lot of images here and I keep posting more. I'm prolific. I'm a shooter and an artist. It's who I am. The images are as real and honest as I am. Enjoy!