My mind directs my eyes as a child, always searching for landscapes of divine light that dance around severe weather. I fall into the atmosphere, I don’t just watch as a spectator from below. My vision is shaped by science, journalism, music, color theory, and most importantly, story-telling. Stories evolve and are passed on through generations, but they are often built around events that are just a flicker in our lives. In the atmosphere, light is fleeting; skyforms last only seconds before changing into something more appropriate for Mother Nature’s ever-shifting moods. Capturing their story requires calculated simplicity, shifting as the sky shifts, never lingering too long in one place.
Devices, Gadgets, and Contraptions
My tools are a blend of old and new design. Modern digital sensors are superb imagers, but mostly realized for me when paired with the optics of the past. Modern aircraft and automobiles are often a necessity, but their utility is limited and can never take the place of a good pair of hiking boots and a trusty backpack. I have come to trust Mountainsmith camera packs, Marmot outerwear, and Subaru vehicles to keep me safe in extreme conditions, and I thank them for their continued support of outdoor professionals. Even with all this amazing equipment at hand, the single most important piece of equipment I have is my mind; untrained in their subject, a photographer can be ineffective with even the most technologically advanced camera gear.
Photographic Integrity
I am a staunch advocate of photographic integrity. Today’s digital world allows for an incredible amount of power in photographic processing. But with this power comes responsibility. I use basic digital processing to adjust the camera’s interpretation of a scene, so that it more closely represents what I saw when I released the shutter. Such changes are only made globally, and never to just one area of a scene. Photographers have been doing this in chemically-based darkrooms for many decades. I also use digital processing to correct physical errors, such as dust that contaminated the sensor, or to discard color information to make a black and white image. What is most important is what I do not do. I do not alter scene content. I do not use filters. I do not employ High Dynamic Range (HDR). I do not crop my images beyond their originally intended aspect ratio. I do not use artificial lighting. I do not own Adobe Photoshop. I do not… because I use the right lenses, sensors, and techniques in the field.
Other Endeavors
It’s never easy putting my camera down. However, like any artist, my inspiration and expertise are drawn from many sources. I teach science as a college professor, I consult as a science media advisor, and I share my expertise as a community photography instructor. I am an active member of the American Society of Picture Professionals, the Center for Fine Art Photography, and the American Geophysical Union. Meanwhile, I publish stock photography (not seen here) around the world in every medium, from books to billboards. Somewhere between, I eat a little, sleep a little, and imagine a little.
Questions?
Great! Please see my “Frequently Asked Questions” page first and if you don’t find your answer there, feel free to email me and I will respond as soon as possible.
Thank You
Although my photographs are my own, their capture comes only with the help of many individuals and organizations. Foremost are my students in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science at the Metropolitan State College of Denver. Their eagerness to experience the world feeds into my own and I thank them for the thousands of miles they’ve shared with me. Many governmental organizations work to keep Colorado wild and in doing so, make my work possible: City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, Boulder County Parks and Open Space, and Jefferson County Open Space.
Please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions: artist [at] weather chrome dot com.
