A nature photographer with five decades of experience, I am extending my creative talent to a new subject. I have an enduring love for the mountain, water and forest vistas that make the Northwest the amazing place we know it to be. However, the COVID-19 Pandemic’s relentless attack on senior citizens, especially those in institutional care, inspires me to act. Edward Steichen, one of photography’s greatest portraitists, once said, “The photographer should make himself useful to society.” I hear and respond to that charge. My mission is to record and share respectful images of these courageous senior loved ones. I intend to help them transcend their isolation and vulnerability.
My careful planning and commitment to the process of creating distinctive photographs will be essential in capturing the essence of these sometimes-overlooked Americans. In their later years, they deserve a reverential look at the lifetime of strength and love they have given their families and community. I am committed to making high quality images reflecting the character that lies beneath their physical features. The eyes of these experienced Americans tell the story of their lives. Lives in which, this epidemic is only one of many obstacles they have overcome through faith and perseverance.
Experience, education and experimentation feed my curiosity and changing interests. My work is evolving from the environment around me to people who have influenced numerous generations. Years of photographing adults of all ages taught me to respect their dignity and portray them with sensitivity. My photographs capture their determination and wisdom. Sharing my images with them and their families fills me with immense satisfaction and reminds me of Steichen’s “Family of Man” exposition. He showed World War II enemies how much they had in common after the most devastating event of the last century. I think we will need a Steichen-like exposition to bridge the gap between the two political sides curiously forming around this century’s greatest catastrophe. I am looking forward to the challenge of showing all people how similar they are, in their love of their parents.