One must always take photographs with the greatest respect for the subject and for oneself. To take photographs means to recognize --simultaneously and within a fraction of a second--both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one's head, one's eye, and one's heart on the same axis.

--Henri Cartier-Bresson

Making pictures helps awaken me fully to the present moment. The act of photographing is for me a means of bringing my thoughts, my body, and my surroundings into perfect, simultaneous alignment. I too often find myself lightly skipping across the surface of experience, thoughts of the future or the past keeping me from directly connecting with the present. The series of hand tinted images is an expression of this 'waking up'. Adding color to only a portion of the image creates an interruption in the reality of the picture plane, making apparent hidden levels of experience usually absent in the everyday hustle of life. I find these deeper experiences occur more easily when I remove myself from my immediate surroundings. I set out on travels to other counties and to other countries when I can. While making even a short trip, I have no bills to mail, errands to run, or obligations to fulfill. I can freely invest all of my attention to photographing. Using a black and white vocabulary of deep, rich blacks and careful attention to light and texture, I respond to the moments and people that spark a deeper connection to my experience, and as Cartier-Bresson suggests, attempt to put my head, my eye, and my heart together in the moment.