I photograph illumination reflected off dark shiny surfaces with Canon and Sony digital cameras & lenses. Slightly different angles (or times of day) alter how light travels and the resulting composition. As a child, I loved to explore and what I do now is similar - I search for dramatic colors and textures. Hues get intensified when bounced and can seem “unbelievable”. Some people assume my images are computer-generated or significantly altered. They are not. As photographers have always done, I edit my images to retouch, crop/rotate and make tonal/color corrections. My objective in editing is to show what I saw. Photographic prints on archival aluminum complete my work with a vibrant luminosity that rivals the original scene.
The first reflective surface I photographed was an autumn Massachusetts pond with colorful birch trees. Diving deeper into water reflections, I was amazed to find images coming out of my camera that reminded me of impressionist favorites like Van Gogh and Monet. At first, I always maintained recognizable elements (lily pads, branches). Over time, the boundaries between realism and abstraction blurred as I concentrated on distorted water patterns.
