On starting projects

Imperial Sand Dunes, AZ.
The Deserving Oasis.

Photography projects tend to begin in many different ways. My Friday’s Rainshadow started by sheer chance after a trip to the Mojave Desert where I just happened to have a 617 camera I was trying out. The panoramic format added a new dimension to the images and gave me a different way of looking at the landscape. For part two of the project, The Deserving Oasis- an exploration of the Sonoran Desert, things have been a little less straight forward. Like a writers second book deal, there is more pressure and higher expectations, especially after obtaining a grant/ advance. One issue I have encountered is the feeling of the work is not good enough. With the Rainshadow work, It didn’t really matter at first what the images were of, in fact I spent six months shooting work I would never show, it was all over the place.

Projects always take time to develop and mature and it is only when we revisit places over and over that we start to see patterns develop and a vernacular is created. Its certainly not something that can be done in a day. From past experience I am pretty sure I will feel differently after more time spent in the heat.

In this day and age people always want things finished so fast which I find quite sad. A sense of urgency Is never a good thing.

Notes on favorite photographs.

Who doesn’t like nostalgia?