I am an educator and photographer from Santa Rosa in Northern California. Both endeavors are rewarding and lend balance to my life. I photograph using traditional approaches with black & white film and silver gelatin prints.
I work with the natural and human landscape. I observe the forms and textures of culture and nature. The gift of photography is that it sharpens one's awareness of our visual world. At best, a photograph preserves moments in time and space that are worth remembering.
I have been taking photographs since childhood. My first camera was a 'Brownie' box type with exploding flashbulbs. My appreciation for photographic prints started with spending hours pouring over my Grandmother's photo albums with my sisters. I have been developing and printing since I was a teenager. I enjoy the process of working with film and printing in the darkroom. I love taking photographs and I am as excited today as when I first started.
I use medium and large format cameras with negatives varying from 2 1/4 x 2 1/2 to 4 x 5 inches. Medium format allows me to work with fluidity in environments that are full of wind and movement, whereas large format demands contemplation and stillness.
Given care, a black and white photograph should last for generations. I print on fiber based silver gelatin photographic paper which is processed according to current archival standards. Each photograph is mounted on museum quality rag mat board with an overlaid signed mat. An acid free foam backing board is also included for protection and convenience for framing.
I appreciate my family's longstanding support, with my parents letting me paint their downstairs bathroom black for my first darkroom, and my wife and children waiting patiently innumerable times while I photographed a scene. I would also like to thank my multi-talented nephew Nico Sala for hosting and designing this website.
It is my privilege to share my images with the public. Thank-you for viewing this site, and I would appreciate any comments or questions.