I am enchanted by our endless tension between subjectivity and objectivity.
Once you accept that your own viewpoint is inescapably subjective, what emerges is the most powerful realization a person can have:
Reality is not what it seems.
I strive to use photographs to express my view of the world, accepting (paradoxically) that objective representation of *reality* in a medium like photography is fundamentally impossible. For me, photography is an exercise in embracing my subjective "lens".
Understanding photography as an intrinsically subjective art form means letting go of the presumption of truth. When viewing my photographs (or any photograph for that matter), one should consider what's outside of the frame. They should imagine what happened before or after the camera was turned on. They should realize the compression of space, color, detail, and perhaps most importantly, their own attention, that occurs when a picture is made. These are all choices that restrict and direct the viewer's gaze.
Photography does not represent *reality* any more than a song can communicate the foundational truth of a color. I believe the concept of objective reality is itself an illusion, and the sooner we embrace the ubiquity and inescapability of our own subjective lenses, the closer we'll be to accepting the real diversity of the human condition.
I grew up in New England and lived nearly a decade in Montana where I earned my degree in Film & Photography at Montana State University, Bozeman. I now live happily with my wife, daughters, dog, and cat outside of Seattle.
