You're in for a Treat!

Turn off the TV, tune out the radio, and forget that video game.  Take my hand, and come with me for a walk.  We will   visit a fishing village in New England, or how about an island in the middle of a large, deep, and gorgeous cold water lake.  We'll stroll through a private garden, and marvel at how beautifully each composition unfolds for us. Remove the distractions of man-made noise.  Now enjoy... nature's music, her color palette, her depth of texture. I have learned to control and utilize texture, light, composition, and color through the lens of a camera.  The brush or the pen permits the freedom to modify, to glorify or de-emphasize, to enhance or diminish, to exaggerate or reduce.  Not so with the lens.  An image is the result of light touching film, controlled by aperture, shutter speed, filters, and supplemental light.  The photographer must work with what she has available to her. A seemingly simple near-closeup landscape, upon closer examination, is full of variety, texture, and tonal contrasts.  A whimsical flower speaks to the viewer about the lighting, the time of day, and the time of year.  A serene dockside image imparts calm at the beginning of the day.

Dockside in Manchester-by-the-Sea

Birch Composition on Beaver Island

I became interested in photography through a friend.  In the early 1980's his work in B&W inspired me to purchase equipment and, under his tutelage, learn the basics of photography and dark room technique.  Over the next several years, I attended several photography workshops - composition, macro photography, landscape, lighting.  A camera with manual mode and E-6 process film were the only requirements to participate.  The inspiration came from the instructors and the other attendees. My camera collection includes three 35-mm SLR bodies, numerous fixed and zoom lenses, and a variety of correction and effect filters.  The pictures you see on this website were all taken with an SLR camera.  I have recently discovered the remarkable quality of a megapixel digital camera for capturing images for web and print production design.  But for pure artistry, the SLR is still my camera of choice for its control over depth of field and light. Nothing serves to bring us back in touch with life and nature faster than a camera!

Rosa Rugosa - on the low bluff overlooking Freshwater Cove

Natural Composition on Beaver Island