Website

When I set out to create this website, I envisioned a place to share my photography, to connect with an online community, and of course to offer my work for sale. To this end, the site is divided roughly into three sections, Portfolios to share my work, Articles and Forums to connect with ideas, and the Store to provide e-commerce.

I’ve always enjoyed looking at other photographer’s work and find creative and strong work to be inspirational and motivating. In fact, I learned the craft by studying the works of masters backwards, forwards, and literally upside down. One definition of creativity is the ability to transcend traditional rules, patterns, and relationships, resulting in new ideas and forms. But creativity doesn’t operate in a vacuum; rather it starts with something known and adds a person’s unique experience to create something new. When I view another artist’s work, I often see something I know through different eyes. In some small way, this becomes part of my experience and helps my own vision evolve. My site is in part a giving back to the community that inspires me.

Photographers globally may well constitute the largest artist’s community in the world. I imagine there are more people wielding cameras as their brush and canvas than any other single art form. Even so, the art of nature photography in particular can be a rather solitary pursuit. Occasionally nature photography is done in groups, and there are popular spots where photographers tend to congregate. But more often than not, you’ll see a single tripod road or trail side with a photographer enjoying the quiet concentration. The web, by contrast, provides the perfect nexus for photographers to not only share their work, but connect with the vibrant and extensive community of fellow artists. Connecting through ideas, not just images, is an equally powerful way to grow. As such, I welcome your thoughts and questions in the discussion forums and comment sections following articles.

Since we all have to earn a living, building e-commerce into the site was a given. But I wanted to create an online store that was a little different. Whether you’re looking to buy artwork or just window shopping, the e-commerce sections of this site are designed to provide a clean and intuitive experience, like a weekend stroll through an art gallery. Beyond even a brick and mortar gallery, the magic of the web makes it easy to preview each image finished and framed in a variety of ways to fit individual tastes and decors. Indeed, with 10 or more framing options and multiple sizes for each image, there are more than 2000 variations possible with the current collection of work. Presenting such a variety and still keeping the site simple and intuitive was a challenge in itself.

New work, in the form of images and articles, will be added to the site regularly. The site in its initial form is my best attempt at imagining how it will be used and viewed. If you have comments, questions or ideas about the site, send me a message and your thoughts may well help this site evolve.