Personal Work

I’m adamant about personal work. I think it’s important for all photographers to “shoot for themselves” from time to time. A lot of what I shoot commercially is inspired by my personal work – that’s what distinguishes my “style” and approach to weddings and other commercial ventures.

Here’s an image I took a couple years ago on a trip to Kazakhstan. I had just boarded a train and happened to notice all these people waving and saying their “goodbyes” to their friends, family and loved ones. I love the rain, the hands on the window and the person inside the far train observing all of the action below on the loading deck (he’s difficult to see in this reduction).

Had I captured this image digitally I probably would have shared it soon after I took it, but there is something special about a traditional silver-gelatin print and printing in the darkroom – a nice change to sitting in front of a computer.

Hasselblad X-Pan
Kodak 400 Tri-X
“Leaving Pavlodar” 2008