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How do you develop your projects? When one begins Decisions about what to include or exclude in my images are made
working, there are so many possibilities-- can you describe very intuitively, informed by this same context of “space”, and by
your process or speak about the way you make decisions? the surprises that appear when I begin looking closely at my re-
I think of the camera as a map making tool, allowing us to see sults. I spend a lot of time, usually in bed before sleep, “reading” my
where we have been; revealing new visual clues about where we proof sheets, deliberating which frame has the best visual impact
are heading. I don’t always see my subject so clearly until clues for my thesis.
begin appearing in my photographs, taking more trial and error I can be very impatient, which is hard to overcome. But I am getting
to resolve what that subject will be. I work very intuitively and better at slowing down; realizing and accepting the value of not
conceptually, always welcoming the surprises and insights that ap- letting expectations affect me so much. Working slowly allows me
pear in my film and prints. Now, my projects begin long before to digest ideas more quietly as inchoate ideas become conscious
any images are made, derived from a deeply sensitive and intui- ones. This is not an easy lesson to master, but is one of the most im-
tive “space” from which I am constantly observing and considering portant, precious steps in my process of making new work. There
myriad details about myriad ideas and subjects before I will settle is also a lot of trial and error before a subject and thesis become
on one specific thesis. From this space as I am calling it, these early clear enough for me to commit to. My best work is almost “stum-
observations and reflections occur relatively sub-consciously as I bled upon,” meaning that I didn’t go out with a camera one day to
process visually and reflexively the experiences and interactions I make it but that it happened very naturally over time. What makes
have with the world around me. This is a normal frame of mind for the work powerful and resonant for viewers is that it is about quo-
me, very intuitive, emotional, and psychologically driven, rooted in tidian experience while being important to our existence: observ-
my personality; somewhat analytical, somewhat obsessive. Before I ing myself and those I love, helping strangers, starting a family, etc.
begin to make “serious” images, I will realize that whatever I have I work very hard to maintain the right balance between structure
been seeing and thinking about so carefully has become the “sub- and spontaneity, recognizing and allowing failure and experimenta-
ject” and the project begins in earnest. tion to play integral roles in my creative process.

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