I have had an avid interest in photography since my early teens, but this interest has often been over- shadowed by the needs of education and career. In years past, I was always more prolific when I had access to a darkrooom, and I always took a great deal of satisfaction in the technical aspects of darkroom work. Through many moves during the course of my career it was not always possible to maintain a darkroom, however, and so my photography activity waxed and waned over the years.
About 5 years ago I began exploring the potential of digital image software as a viable alternative to building a darkroom, first purchasing a film/slide scanner to digitize my images, and learning the basics of Photoshop. Over the recent years, I have upgraded my equipment, moving to a totally digital workflow. The most significant prchase was a wide format printer, allowing me to create archival quality prints up to 24x36 inches.
My photographic interests are eclectic, with particular interests in nature, macro, travel and abstract.
Much of my work in the last couple of years has moved away from direct photographic interpretation to incorporating a variety of manipulations that disguise the photographic origin of the images. My "Orchid Suite" is a work in progress, as I explore different ways to manipulate the photographic originals to produce a satisfying end result. These images are produced combining techniques from several programs and plug-ins, notably Photoshop, Virtual Painter, Corel Painter and Lucis Art.
Another area of interest is in the production of abstract images which are completely computer generated. "Mathemagica" is a series of works created with Ultra Fractal, undoubtedly the most powerful tool available for the generation of fractal images. The images that you see in the galleries cannot convey the extraordinary detail of these compositions. Most recently I have begun to explore the application of techniques developed in the Orchid Suite to fractal images, opening a whole new dimension of abstract expression.
I invite you to explore my world of digital art. Enjoy.
