Artist's Bio

Years ago, after seeing the work of Edward Weston, Brett Weston and Ansel Adams, I wanted to be able to produce that type of black and white fine art photography. As part of the learning process, I attended workshops by Brett Weston and Ansel Adams and I taught myself the Zone System technique that was first developed by Adams . The Zone System helps creates the path from the photographer's vision to the final print. It is a combination of technique and approach; the values of fine art and photographic science support the photographer's perception of the world in front of the camera.

Besides developing the ability to visualize a photograph before taking the shot, I have been working on the utilization of masks (including pencil dodging, rubylith, unsharp, litho dodging/burning, contrast increase and computer-generated masks) in order to create my final print. I use 5" x 7" and 6 x 9 cm format cameras exclusively and develop my film in Pyro. My photographs are silver gelatin, toned in selenium, processed to archival standards, and mounted on acid-free poster board.

Many of my works can be viewed here at the Viewpoint Gallery, or at the Tidewater Art Center and Gallery at 223 E. Weber Ave. in Stockton, and at the Henry Paine Gallery, 147 E. Alpine Ave., Stockton, or online at www.henrypaine.com. To see the complete collection of my prints, please call (209) 942-2821 or send an e-mail to gallery@henrypaine.com to schedule a viewing appointment at my gallery in Stockton. In addition to my photographic work, I have been repairing cameras and other photographic equipment for more than 25 years. More information is available on my web site.