There are two parts to my photographic process:
The first part follows the classic tradition of black and white portrait photography. I plan where and who I photograph beforehand. I shoot film and document what I see when I look through the lens. Then I develop the film and make prints in my darkroom.
The second part of my work with photography is much more spontaneous. It allows me to go beyond what I have captured on film. I apply photographic chemicals, inks and dyes to draw and paint over my portraits. I never quite know where the process will lead me, but I follow my intuition— maybe like an explorer in a not-yet-discovered land. The print that underlies these drawings provides the structure and keeps the work rooted in photography. The drawings allow me to express that which lives in my imagination.