Often I have no idea why I am drawn to the subjects in my photographs. But it seems safe to say that they represent my personal interests, artistic sensibilities, and aesthetic style. Collectively, they become my personal vision and form the basis for engagement with an audience.

I will drop everything for a picture that speaks to me. I will run outside in my pajamas in the early morning light to take the photograph of the red couch on the road next to my home. As I am deep in the process, I am struck by the undeniable reality that people are present one day and gone the next. I ponder the meaning of home and what it really means to have a roof over my head. In the span of a shutter release, I am overwhelmed with sadness for those without a home and grateful for my own home in equal measure. The dichotomy between having and not having disturbs my balance so that half of the pictures are out of focus.

Pulling over to take a picture of the shed, nearly swallowed by greenery, it is the yellow door that draws my eye. I am distracted by the man who enters the business behind me, feeling the need to explain my presence so as not to be accused of trespassing. I point to the shed and try to explain, through my mask, my desire to take a picture. The man looks confused, so I try again. I have a kind of single-minded determination to find the most suitable outlet for the vision in my mind. I am not easily deterred from the act of taking pictures. Does this count as creative risk-taking?

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