Notes on images, hardware, software, aesthetics, priorities & history
(Updated for 2026)
This document is a set of notes intended to provide quick answers and background.
Update — April 2017, 2018 On Post‑Processing the Digital Negative Most of what I wrote below still stands: image integrity and deliberate seeing remain central. Lately I’ve worked to align my finished images with those ideals.
One persistent concern has been the look and feel of final images. They often come close to what I want, but I’ve never been fully comfortable with my post‑capture workflow. A commercial photographer friend recommended I talk to Claudio Palmisano, an Italian photographer and post‑production expert. Claudio patiently read my goals and then clearly outlined how I should work — in many ways much like traditional film processing. That connection made a lot of sense and sent me back to core principles and physical realities. I’ve re‑read Ansel Adams’ The Negative with new appreciation.
Take the material below with a grain of salt. I plan to reprocess, re‑export, and re‑upload many of these images when time allows.
Images & Integrity I publish largely straight photographs, though reasonable argument can be made. I rarely crop; nothing on this site is cropped. I will color‑correct images or convert them to black and white. I adjust tonality to delineate form, and I remove dust spots on files or prints. I do not copy‑and‑paste pixels or elements within or between images (beyond spotting). I do not assign colors that were not present when I made the exposure; at most I restore what I saw and feel was lost in capture.
One area where I depart from strict orthodoxy is noise reduction. I love the Sony A7S for its low‑light capability, but high ISO noise can be distracting. I struggle with noise reduction because it can reduce perceived quality, yet judicious use often improves an image. I favor careful tools: Macphun/Skylum Noiseless and DxO/Google’s Nik Dfine for subtle, conservative noise control.
Cameras & Technology Tools matter. Even attempts to deny technology are shaped by it.
Digital imaging has offered more latitude for learning than film did, though I find myself drawn back to film on specific terms — and you’ll hear about it when it happens.
I was slow to adopt digital cameras; I understood digital file formats long before owning a camera. I grew up with large‑format, high‑resolution expectations and initially found early digital output lacking. Today I use several cameras, each for different reasons:
Sony A7R II and A7RV My go‑to tools. The A7RV, especially, is a dream: high resolution, sophisticated autofocus, and extensive control. The sensor often feels like an extension of my eyes.
Sony RX100VII A compact camera that meets concert and sports‑venue guidelines. Decent sensor and a fast 70–200mm equivalent lens make it reliable in constrained environments.
Canon 5D Mark II (retired) The 5D Mark II was the first camera that felt like an extension of my eye and brain. Its full‑frame sensor delivered tonal gradations and dynamic range I valued. It’s heavy in a working setup (battery grip, 70–200mm), but the balance and handling were excellent for long event shoots.
I generally shoot Aperture Priority or Manual and rely on autofocus unless a situation requires manual focus. My go‑to lenses include the Canon 70–200mm f/2.8, Canon 40mm f/2.8, a manual Zeiss 35mm f/2, and older Zuiko OM lenses (50mm f/1.4, 28mm f/2.8).
Sony A7S (mostly retired) I acquired an A7S to use legacy rangefinder lenses (Leica Summicrons) and Olympus Zuiko lenses. The A7S’s exceptional high‑ISO performance and wide dynamic range let the camera “see” more of the scene than I sometimes can with the naked eye. That capability forced me to be deliberate: plan shots, think through variables, and accept that inattentive shooting produces poor results. That discipline has made me a better photographer.
Images: Photographs, Painting & Sculpture I often call myself a painter who makes sculptures with photographs — half a joke, half serious. As a painter I’m deeply aware of picture space: the illusion of three‑dimensional depth on a flat plane. From Caravaggio and Rembrandt’s active compositional spaces to modernists like Picasso and Frank Stella who complicate depth and perception, my work is informed by those conversations.
Photographs, Culture, History, and Me I value art history and believe it is essential. When I taught studio art, I insisted on art‑history context. Art is a conversation about how we perceive the world, ourselves, and our culture; if you don’t speak the language you can’t participate in the conversation.