My fascination with photography began when I was 12. The boy next door had a darkroom, and I watched as the magical alchemy of a photograph appeared in the dim red light.
Over the next many years I raised a family and built and sold a business. Subsequently I was free to pursue my passion. I built a darkroom in my home and learned the technical aspects of processing film.
I attended classes at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University. From Denis Devenyi and Fred Hertzog I learned about the aesthetics of the craft. I was strongly influenced by Cartier-Bresson, Weston, Evans, Frank and Callahan, who are, essentially, “street” photographers, and I went in to the street every day.
In 1974, along with other Vancouver photographers, I formed the group called V.I.E.W. (Vancouver Image Exploration Workshop). A grant from the British Columbia Government allowed us to present a lecture series with some of North America’s preeminent photographers. I absorbed the thinking and philosophies of W. Eugene Smith, Ralph Gibson, Neale Weston, Stephen Shore; and later that summer, Paul Caponigro and Duane Michaels held workshops, and the vibrant interactions among us during their visits further enhanced my development.
Making photographs is a very personal experience for me; my emotions, intuition and intellect are simultaneously engaged.