You may be wondering about the vertical spaces, or gaps, in my panoramic images. They are at once both an artifact of my process and a solution to the challenge of framing a very large piece.

I make these images using a view camera and sheet film. In order to make panoramic images, I use multiple sheets of film that line up with each other. In a nutshell, the spaces are where the edges of two sheets of film meet.

If you have ever seen the edge of piece of film, sheet film or roll film, then you know that the image does not go right to the edge. If you are looking at a negative, then you see the clear orange film base. If you are looking at positive film (transparency or slide), then you see black.

Film is plastic, and it tends to curl. It would not be possible to make images that are actually in focus if the film were to curl. Therefore, film cameras are designed to hold the film flat. The structure(s) that hold the film flat prevent light from exposing the film. By the way, the unexposed film edge is called the rebate.

I am a photographer. I am also an ecologist.

When I am not making photographs, I am with my family on Cape Cod. My wife and two young boys bring joy and balance to my life. We go on adventures. We stay at home. We have too many interests and passions and try to do it all!

Most art is either entertainment or propaganda. Neither type of art is based on the truth. True art inspires the heart to remember its journey and offers a map for the perplexed soul.

A map is a device designed to enable passage from one place to another. Beholding a map, a person stands ready to enter liminal space, a temporary place one occupies during a passage.

When I make one of my signature panoramic photographs, I enter liminal space, and I return. The image I capture is akin to a map. It is designed to be more than a beautiful image. It is designed to illuminate a path.

I will give you an example. I once received an email from a physician working in a hospital. This person told me that it had become their practice to visit one of my images when they needed to settle difficult thoughts or feelings. To overcome a challenge. To pass through a difficult time.

A boon is not guaranteed to every viewer every time, but it is offered.

When I am not making photographs, I am with my family on Cape Cod. My wife and two young boys bring joy and balance to my life. We go on adventures. We stay at home. We have too many interests and passions and try to do it all!