My Journey with Photography
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My Journey with Photography
It’s fascinating to look back and see how deeply my personal experiences and emotions have shaped my artistic expression. Photography has always been more than technique for me—it has been a companion, a mirror, and sometimes a lifeline.
Recently, I was invited to speak to a group of students in Iowa about my fine art photography and my life on the art-show circuit. One of their questions stayed with me: “Why do you take pictures?”
Not how, but why.
At art fairs, the focus is usually on technique, because people expect your work to carry a message. For a long time, I wasn’t sure if my images conveyed anything at all. I wasn’t sure if they told a story, or if they even qualified as “fine art” under the definitions I was taught.
But when I really thought about it, I realized this:
I take pictures for joy—and to escape.
And then the deeper question came: What am I escaping from?
What emerged was the understanding that my work has unfolded in stages, each one reflecting a different emotional chapter of my life.
Stage One: The Bottom of the River — “My Dream”
In the first stage, I found myself photographing the bottom of the river. The images look peaceful, even happy, but I now understand why I was drawn there.
I was depressed—moving through life after a divorce, trying to learn how to be alone again. The days felt heavy, even when everything around me appeared positive. I felt like I was drowning quietly beneath the surface.
Without realizing it, I was photographing exactly where I felt I was standing in life: at the bottom, looking up.
Stage Two: Reflections and Debris — “Lakeshore”
The second stage brought me to reflections and debris floating on the water’s surface. This was the beginning of transition.
I was no longer fully submerged in depression. I was slowly resurfacing—still battling between negative and positive thoughts, but finally seeing more light than dark.
This was the stage where I started building confidence again, one photograph at a time.
Stage Three: Isolation in Vast Spaces — “Out of the Blue”
The third stage brought me to images of isolation—objects or scenes surrounded by large, open spaces.
This mirrored my emotional life perfectly.
I had gained confidence, yet I still felt lonely. Clients sometimes ask me why I’m still single. I blame it on my chaotic art-show schedule, but the truth goes deeper: I still carry insecurities. And those insecurities can be hard for anyone to embrace.
Being self-employed adds another layer of uncertainty. My financial reality shifts constantly—part calculation (what I earn per hour installing art) and part hope (that the next show will be successful). I often feel like I’m walking a tightrope.
These images were my way of expressing the quiet balance between strength and vulnerability.
Stage Four: Moving Forward — The Stage I’m Entering Now
I believe I am now entering the fourth stage—a stage about moving forward, accepting my path, and finding peace with who I am.
I have come to understand that I can be happy alone. That makes the time spent with loved ones even more valuable. Relationships grow stronger when two people can support each other through difficult moments. I’ve been fortunate to have friends who helped me through my hardest years, and I hope I can return that kindness.
This stage is about progress, choice, and emotional growth.
My new images reflect that.
Photography as Therapy
Looking back, I realize my photography has always been a form of therapy. It has helped me process emotions I didn’t know how to express. It gave me a quiet space to heal and understand myself.
As I continue to grow—both personally and artistically—my work will grow too. It will keep telling the story of who I am, who I’ve been, and who I’m becoming.
And maybe, through that honesty, it can offer connection to someone who needs it.
More Than Technique
At art shows, people often focus on technique, equipment, and process. But the truth is, my photography is about so much more.
It’s about storytelling.
It’s about emotion.
It’s about capturing the moments that shaped me—and sharing that journey in a way that is both personal and universal.
My images may begin as escapes, but they become something else:
a record of my inner life, a narrative of resilience, and a reminder that every stage—dark or light—has its own beauty.