On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which forcibly uprooted over 110,000 individuals of Japanese descent from their homes along the West Coast, incarcerating them into one of ten hastily built, military-style camps. Among these were men, women, and children, including more than 100 orphans, some still in their infancy. Manzanar was one of these camps.
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What began as a short-term photographic exercise—a way to acclimate to new surroundings in Owens Valley, California—became was the most long-term and meaningful photographic project I have ever worked on. That exercise was photographing Manzanar National Historic Site.
I spend the better part of two years working in and around Manzanar. My photographs range from found artifacts to hidden metaphors. I hope my photographs will both inspire and challenge you to think beyond the obvious and to see with senses other than your eyes.
This book is not a documentary about what happened, but a tribute to the fading memory of those who were forced to live here.
Manzanar: Echoes of Lost Memories was awarded first place in the prestigious 2025 Int'l Photography Awards self published book (professional) category. I am grateful for that honor.
The hardcover edition of my Manzanar book has sold out, however the digital copy is still available and was recently discounted. Thank you to everyone for supporting my work.
