For more than two decades, my work has mostly consisted of
in-depth, social issue-based documentary photography. From war zones and disaster areas around the
globe, the Columbine massacre, Hurricane Katrina, politics, immigration and
border issues, poverty, and lack of health care, to the economic disparities in
Texas created by public policy, I’ve dedicated my life to photographing those
issues and stories. My task has been to
put a face to the numbers surrounding an issue, to photograph the human condition
in a war zone or disaster area, and to shine a light into the deepest recesses
of the human experience and provide a mirror for society to examine itself – to
give a voice to the least among us. I
have dedicated much of my career to telling under-reported stories and to
approach these stories with compassion, willing to give as much of myself as I
expect from my subjects.
Growing up in the era of Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, the
sexual revolution, the Vietnam War, Kent State and the anti-war movement, the
assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert
F. Kennedy, and then Watergate, my values and ideals were shaped by these
tumultuous events. Those pivotal times instilled
a strong desire to make a difference with my work – to change the world, to be
the catalyst that would move people to act.
I frequently carry just one 35mm Canon SLR camera equipped
with a 16 - 35mm lens, which enables me to move quickly and quietly, and always
using only available light. And while
it’s always been important to capture a moment, a mood, or subtle look, it must
be composed beautifully with interesting light, to tell a visual story. For I have never considered myself simply a
photographer, but an eternal student of light.
I am currently embracing the prospect of an overhaul –
actively exploring several options for moving my documentary approach into
alternative directions.
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