Instinct is a powerful trait that always rewards heavily when I act on it. I release the shutter when it ‘feels’ right. No, not every picture turns out the way I envisioned it. Very rarely does that actually happen, as I estimate deleting at least 95% of my images as soon as I download them and begin reviewing. After all, with the advent of digital photography, I like to say “film is cheap” so why not take the shot when I want to. Regardless of how the end photo turns out, I always release the shutter when a voice inside says ‘…now!’ for the best chance at a ‘keeper.’

I LOVE everything about black and white imagery, most of all how it strips down any image into the bare essentials of form, emotion, light and shadows. It’s just what I’m personally attracted to and what resonates most within me when viewing my own or other people’s work. That’s not to say color imagery can’t be done well of course, it just doesn’t do as much for me personally when behind the camera.

Currently, I’m 100% committed to exclusively shooting of subjects in this medium.

Look up the phrase and you’ll see I’m far from the first to have ever used it; needless to say, I didn’t coin it (the grandfather of street photography Henri Cartier-Bresson did), but it encapsulates what makes any moment into a great and compelling memory that I want to look at in the future. It can be either something in someone’s control or well beyond it. I’m speaking of a unique gesture, expression, composition, geometric shapes, lines, light and shadows, etc.

It boils down to anything that makes the moment captured more engaging than any before or after it - the ‘decisive moment’ when my inner voice says ‘…now!’

As part of shooting in a family documentary manner, I’m devoted to capturing subjects as they are. No guiding, no suggesting and no altering elements of the environment. If I miss a moment that I felt had potential, I simply use it as a learning experience for how to be ready next time. And, more often that not given human nature, the moment or gesture may repeat itself, and I will be ready in case it does.

In documentary photography, I leave all my daily life's concerns behind me and focus on living in the moment, observing everything happening around me. This also includes getting into place for a potential shot in case all elements come together. It only takes a literal fraction of a second to make a photograph, after all. Even if I don’t walk away with any ‘keeper’ images, witnessing the human condition as it is just in front of me is also a beautiful thing.

Quite literally 1% of the images in my site’s portfolio have been cropped, even ever so slightly. I always shoot full frame, keeping in mind the mantra of “framing with my feet,” and get in the position I want before making the shot. This allows me to shoot with intent and a vision rather than blindly snapping and hoping to make an image out of a crop after the fact. To me it resembles the most authentic representation of a person and environment if the full frame is viewed uninterrupted.

Holding a camera up to my eye or walking around with it for hours on end does NOT automatically give me some ‘right’ to capture ‘keeper’ images. It only provides me with the opportunity to do so. I don’t ‘expect’ to take or ‘deserve’ any picture at any given time, or feel disappointed if I don’t take any ‘keeper’ images after spending hours with a subject or project. If nothing else, living and observing in the moment and spending time with my camera is rewarding enough. And especially when kids are involved, any expectations will only lead you to frustrations.

Of course this doesn’t explain itself well with paid work, but it’s all about letting go of expectations and just going with the flow, solely focusing on capturing any opportunity I see to make a photograph. Any pressure or expectation of an award-winning photograph doesn’t simply induce one to be created.

If I feel inspired and spend enough time with a subject, pictures are sure to follow.