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Statement Since 2004, I have been exploring and photographing the agricultural landscapes of North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. This homogenous landscape, shaped by a high concentration of imposing shelter belts, periodic small towns, and the ever present farmer’s plow displays a subtle beauty as well as a very palpable quietness. My current work fits into parallel portfolios incorporating various facets of the northern plains landscape including (but not limited to) shelterbelts, prairie potholes, timeworn structures, agricultural crops, and the endless sky. My methodology is a combination of aimless wanderings and specific destinations, allowing both happenstance and planning to shape the outcome of the projects. The images in these portfolios are, by purpose, devoid of people. It
is my intention for viewers to immerse themselves within a scene, as
if on location beside me, without the powerful and distracting presence
of man. This is, after all, a landscape on which people are infrequently
witnessed.
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About the Photographer My initial foray in to photography was as a photojournalist working at mid-sized newspapers in Minnesota, North Dakota and Pennsylvania. I left that road after a 16-year journey and transitioned into a more sedentary role as a university photographer, a position in which I remain today. While I have had an interest in creating fine art work throughout my career as a photographer, it was not until I left newspaper work that I had the time, energy and enthusiasm to pursue it as a serious endeavor. As well, I have never felt a serious connection to the land as I have experienced since arriving in North Dakota more than 12-years ago. My style of photography, which combines planned outings with chance
coincidences, allows me the opportunity to explore, understand and,
more importantly, appreciate the beauty and complexity my surroundings.
Every photographic experience, even those in familiar territory, offers
a unique combination of light, atmosphere, and what Jay Maisel refers
to as “gesture”, an often indefinable quality of subject
matter. In 2007 my work was published in B&W Magazine and has been added to the File Magazine collection. As well, three of my images were awarded honorable mentions at the 2007 IPA competition.
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