Cameras: My goal in photographing the landscape is to keep the use of the camera as simple and direct as possible. I shoot with a 4x5 or an 8x10 Arca Swiss camera, a moderate wide angle lens, and Kodak T-max 400 film. This limited selection allows me to focus on looking at the landscape and not be thinking about equipment or film. It also allows me to work intuitively and quickly as my subject can change minute to minute with the movement of the tide, waves, and light on reflective surfaces.

When photographing people and places and the still lifes, I use 4x5, 120mm cameras, and 35mm cameras. Again, I have a preference for wide angle lens but work with a range of other lens as well. I also use continuous or strobe lighting when needed.

Film, Processing, & Scanning: I have worked with the Zone System using Kodak T-max 400 film developed in Kodak XTOL developer for many years. Scanning, however, has changed the requirements for a good negative. A drum scan can hold detail in bright highlights and favors well exposed shadows, so I now expose for full shadow detail and am not as critical about highlight placement and development unless the scene is very flat or has extreme contrast. Negatives are drum scanned to 8-bit and 16-bit grayscale files at a resolution that will allow output at approximately 350 dpi.

Editing & Printing: The scanned negatives are edited using Adobe Photoshop on an Apple computer with a Wacom tablet and mouse. I work extensively with adjustment layers and masks to control overall and local contrast, and I dodge or burn highlights, mid-tones, and shadows all separately as needed to further control the rhythm and movement of values across the print. As part of editing, I make numerous small prints until I am satisfied with how the print is working. The image is then output to full size and more tonal adjustments are made until I achieve a final print.

The photographs are printed on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag 188 gsm and William Turner 190 gsm roll papers with an Epson 7000 printer using Piezography BW Pro software and Piezo Tone Selenium inks.