I fell in love with black and white portraits when I was a young girl. The stark contrasts, the simple lines, the raw emotions--an individual stripped to his or her essence on film quite intrigued me. One of my fondest memories of my grandfather, a man of few words, is of him marching the family into his backyard and lining us up for an impromptu photo shoot. He would fiddle with the dials of his (what looked like to me) fancy camera, snap the first photo, readjust the buttons again, and snap another picture. This went on for several minutes while I fidgeted and wondered why on earth it was so complicated to take a simple picture. Finally, he would be satisfied and grant us our release. Years later, I acquired that camera and was giddy to have my first experience shooting black and white pictures as Grandpa had. Not only did I do my own share of fiddling, I discovered I was hooked! I have since grown to adore vivid, intense, playful color just seeping from my images; I simply made room as an artist to love both mediums in which to capture that special flicker in time.
Henry Ellis once said, "All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on." Through photography, I find the means to secure those fleeting memories, to construct a coffer full of treasured moments I can forever reflect on. I hope to do the same for you...