When I take photos I am usually drawn first to the quality of light. I’m addicted to light like some people are addicted to chocolate. I have a memory for it like some have a memory for wine. My favourite light is the fading twilight, with its distinct mood and feeling. (But I rarely take photos at this time, as I feel that the twilight mood doesn’t translate well in photos, for me at least.)
Another motivator for me is seeing the world with fresh eyes. I think that is why many photographers are drawn to travel. David Byrne said in the movie True Stories, “I really enjoy forgetting. When I first come to a place, I notice all the little details. I notice the way the sky looks. The color of white paper. The way people walk. Doorknobs. Everything. Then I get used to the place and I don’t notice those things anymore. So only by forgetting can I see the place again as it really is.”
Because I live in the country and work in the city, when I go to the city it often seems fresh and new. I notice things that I probably would pass by if I lived there.
I incorporate photography into my daily life—at supermarket parking lots, gas stations, hockey rinks—wherever I happen to be. I rarely set off anywhere with the sole purpose of taking photos.
My photographic vision has evolved over the past few years, especially since I joined Flickr. I still use a lot of juxtaposition, but my eye has grown more refined and I think there is generally more complexity and ambiguity in my work. I’m interested in the human-altered landscape and the power of images to make a statement or tell a story. On the other hand, digital photography has made me a poorer editor. I take so many more photos now than I did with film—it’s so hard to keep track of them all. And hard for a pack rat like me to delete any of them!