In our visually overstimulated world, we may not remember the specifics of what we encounter daily, but we tend to remember the feelings of those experiences long after the colors and details have faded from our minds.
Through my photography, I aim to capture the feelings we most desire to experience again, such as hope, strength, serenity, and love.
One of the most essential elements I use to capture and express feelings in my images is light.
Whether it’s the majesty of El Capitan’s grand splendor, the surreal appearance of a tiger cooling off in a pond in the midday heat, or a wild horse’s salt-drenched mane blowing wildly in the wind, taking two images in different lighting conditions can result in vastly different effects.
As an artist, I interpret the world through my lens, bringing my subject to life by choosing which elements to emphasize and which to let go. Black and white, the palette I have used most for over a decade, strips away distractions, leaving something raw, pure, and emotive that must be crafted with precision and the utmost regard for detail. In monochrome images, form, tone, and texture take on greater weight. Yet, more than anything, it is light that allows me to sculpt, paint, and transform an ordinary photograph into a work of art.
When composing an image, light is a foundational element. I can use it to shape where I want the viewer's eye to travel, to emphasize what should be the focal point, or where the light should fade to obscure details and let the image breathe.
When someone spends time looking at one of my photographs on their wall, I want them to feel something soulful and visceral, and to pause amid their busy lives to get lost in the details. This is where light serves as a guide, directing the viewer's gaze, shaping forms, and giving symbolic weight to my subject.
Whether surreal or dramatic, stark or calming, light simplifies and gives permanence to the ephemeral; it allows me to capture more than a moment.
Instead, light allows me to create the feelings I want to preserve on camera.
"Light in Profile" (Left) & “White Sands ” (Right)
Both images were taken around the same set of dunes, on the same day, in Sossusvlei, Namibia. They illustrate how light can change an image's narrative, creating incredibly different emotions.
"Belle " (Left) & “Nova ” (Right)
My images of the Camargue horses in my series Band of Rebels reveal two distinct aspects of their existence, each shaped by light. I aimed for this series to capture both sides of these remarkable horses: their ancient strength and power alongside the muted, off-white glow of their dreamlike homeland in the South of France.
This image “Infinite ”, taken in Amboseli National Park, is shaped by the confluence of light and dust.
The same fog that makes Sable Island so difficult to access is also one of the reasons I’m drawn to it. In many of my images, fog and light merge to create a natural, minimalist backdrop that lends a fashion-inspired quality to my portraits, much like what I captured in "Wind Blown," shown above.