Clouds-Mountains- Sand

Connemara Peat

I have been making pictures of the land and sky for over twenty years. My landscape interest lies primarily at the interface of human activity on the land.  This may take the form of a picture whose beauty is relatively easy to access, but may also take shape in pictures that stretch and challenge my own sense of what beauty is in a pictoral and personal sense.

In my most recent work, digital photography has allowed me the freedom to play with the picture in ways that painters generally take for granted.  I can readily remove objects from a scene and slightly alter the land before me to enhance the structure of the picture and clarify the visual experience I am seeking, while preserving or enhancing a sense of place.  

Some of the pictures you see here are a straightforward photographic record of the scene in front of me with some small digital enhancements, similar to traditional dodging and burning.  Some of the pictures have a sky replaced, a common 19^th century darkroom practice.  Some of the pictures depict scenes that do not exist as shown.  

Of course, this asks some fundamental questions about truth telling and the photograph.  I am not a documentary photographer.   My allegiance is with the picture and the pursuit of a compelling visual experience.  Someone else can fret about accuracy.