Artist's Statement

My formal training is in Zoology and Biological Science leading to a career as a clinical laboratory scientist. I have been photographing elements of the natural environment for over 35 years. A fascination for form, line and color in the macro and microscoopic world as seldom seen by the casual observer, lead 20 years ago to a degree in art and a further appreciation of the abstract qualities found in natural elements as well as the action of physical forces on inanimate objects. Recent explorations have led me to the fascinating world of orchids. There are over 30,000 distinct species of orchids, the largest family of flowering plants as well as over 70,000 registered hybrids. In nature they can be found from the sea level tropical jungles of the world where temperatures can be in the 90's and the humidity is likewise at 90%, to the high cloud forests of the Andes or Himalayas where temperatures can be in the 30's at altitudes above 8000 ft. I have been so drawn to the incredible variety of shapes, colors, and unusual methods of attracting pollinators that I soon needed a greenhouse to house my several hundred plants providing the proper conditions to assure survival. I patiently wait for the plants to bloom, many of which bloom only once a year and some with flowers lasting for as little as 6 hours, others blooming only in the still hours just before sunrise. I have been capturing these images with a digital camera and further exercise my artistic vision with computer enhancement of the images which can be seen by following the supplied link to several hundred images on the web, www.dotphoto.com.