Welcome to my site. I hope you enjoy my work and learning a little about me.
I am mainly a landscape and wildlife photographer, based in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.
My photographic journey began when I bought my first camera, a Canon T-70 SLR 35mm film camera, in 1986. I was stationed at Minot AFB, ND, and just a few months away from transferring to Eielson AFB, near Fairbanks, AK. It was my dream assignment and I knew I needed a camera for the drive up the ALCAN and my tour in Alaska.
I experimented with B&W film, and tried to teach myself the basics of photography, with little success. Over the next 25 years, I dabbled in photography without any real understanding of the principles.
"Wickford Harbor"
Wickford, Rhode Island
"Fishing for Diamonds"
Sachuest National Wildlife Refuge, Newport, Rhode Island
In 2011, I took a photography course at Providence College, and it changed my understanding of the art. Now, when I go shooting, I am armed with a better understanding of the process, and I continue to refine my skills.
In 2018 I expanded into the realm of the DSLR and into medium format film (6x7cm and 6x8cm on 120 film). I have a rudimentary darkroom set up in my house, and in the near future I will be digitizing and adding some of my 35mm and medium format work on this site.
There is still much for me to learn. I got married in August of 2024, so even though I retired from federal civil service in October of 2024, I have had little time to devote to learning and practicing photography. I am enjoying my new life with my wife, and working part time as a contractor. I will get out more often once spring is here, which should be in full swing within a few weeks.
"Sunset on Half Dome"
Yosemite National Park, California
I travel within Rhode Island, the rest of New England, and occasionally to other locations in the US, and do a lot of hiking in conjunction with photography. Those two interests seem to go very well together.
You will not find my work on Facebook, Instagram, or any other social media platforms. I prefer to share it by word of mouth and through personal interactions with people I meet when I am out shooting.
When I edit my digital photographs, I normally perform only basic processing techniques. I do not remove anything except for dust, and I never add anything to a photograph that was not present at the time I took it. I will use filters on my lenses when appropriate for the photograph, such as a circular polarizer or a neutral density filter, and color filters for film photography.
In the darkroom, I employ standard techniques using contrast filters, dodging, and burning. I feel that the simplest and least-intrusive methods produce the finest photographs. This does not mean it won't require considerable work to "get it right," but I think the most important contribution to the final result is made before I go into the darkroom, with my choice of film, composition, and exposure.
"Osprey Comin' at Ya!"
John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge, Narragansett, Rhode Island
What's in my bag?
My digital equipment consists of:
Landscapes - Canon R5 Mirrorlesss, Canon 5D Mark IV and 5D Mark II cameras; Rokinon 14mm ED AS IF UMC f/2.8, Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L II USM, with a Canon Extender EF 2x III
Macrophotography - Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 USM Macro
Wildlife/Birds - Canon R5, Canon 7D Mark II; Canon EF 600mm f/4 L IS USM, Canon 300mm F/4 L IS, Sigma 150-600mm DG HS OSM Contemporary (with a TC 1401 teleconverter (1.4x).
Infrared - Canon 1000D (converted to IR); Canon EF-S 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
My film equipment consists of:
Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 (Large Format), w/Kodak Ektar Compur 127mm f/4.7 lens.
Mamiya RB67 Professional S (Medium Format); Mamiya-Sekor C 65mm f/4.5-32, 180mm f/4.5, 250mm f/4.5-45
Mamiya RZ67 Professional (Medium Format); Mamiya-Sekor Z 50mm f/4.5-32
Canon T-70, Canon T-90, Canon EF, and Canon TX . All are 35mm.
I use Benro and Sirui tripods and heads, and LowePro backpacks.
In my darkroom, I use two Beseler enlargers; a Model 23C Series II (for 35mm negatives) and a Model 67C XL (for 6x7cm and 6x8cm negatives).
I use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop for digital processing.
"Female Red-Bellied Woodpecker"
Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge, Exeter, Rhode Island
"Female Eastern Bluebird with Spider"
Francis Carter Memorial Preserve, Charlestown, Rhode Island