​I am interested in the curious and varied imagery I discover in this quintessentially Midwestern region, Central Illinois. I was born here, raised here, educated here, and I have lived here all my life. I am hopeful my photographs reflect my deep appreciation for this place. The grit, the grace, the color, depth, the joy and darkness. I'm an old dog with an old camera, chasing a feeling, a sense of something.

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Former Director of Photography at MoMA John Szarkowski stated: “When you pressed the button the camera described what was in front of it. That’s what photography is.” For some, the moment is complete. For me, the photograph serves as a creative foundation, not merely as replication. Central Illinois is my home. Everything is familiar and, on some level, everything is emotional. Poignantly, Scott Reither of the Curated Landscape says: “It’s not about showing others what the eye saw in an instant but about conveying what the heart felt in the moment."

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​My inspirations span seven decades; they are emotional touchstones. Influence? Well, that's quite a different conversation. I'm influenced by William Christenberry, who embraced his beloved Hale County, Alabama, and his friend William Eggleston, the “father of color photography.” And Joel Meyerowitz, his book A Question of Color put all this picture-stuff into perspective. I don’t mimic them; I admire them and I read them. Fashion photographer William Klein, painter Ellsworth Kelly, and journalist Charles Kuralt, all fiercely independent. 

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