Viewfinder

Director of Photography
Film & Video
Documentary Specialist
Camera Operator

It is a privilege to make moving images for which the world has a need. I've always been drawn to the observation and depiction of real life and thoroughly enjoy being 'in the moment'.  I believe recording people’s lives, thoughts and experiences to be a profoundly meaningful act.

​When shooting, I think about  lighting, movement, framing, depth of field, eye lines, etc., and I critically weigh the utility of shots on the eventual editing table.  But above all, I imagine in the back of my mind the perspective of a curious and critical viewer.  I try to deliver to an audience the feeling of being there--being inside the story. To me this intuitive process is more important than the technical aspects of cinematography, and I strive for it to be engaging and second nature.

I started making films as a teenager and went on to study, work and teach at the University of Maryland Baltimore County in the film/video area of the Visual Arts department.  In 1982, I received a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from UMBC, and in 2001 was awarded “Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.” 

​My freelance career began in the early eighties and I taught film courses part-time at The Johns Hopkins University through 1992. Over the years I have done camera work on a wide variety of projects: feature films, TV series, commercials, corporate and educational videos. However, most of my experience continues to be in the realm of documentaries and actuality-style drama, much of it shot hand-held, a particular specialty of mine. Cinematography also allows me opportunities in international travel for which I am always deeply grateful and personally enriched.

As image-making technologies evolve, I embrace change with enthusiasm and work in all professional formats of film and video. But whatever the camera, I compel myself to form a close relationship to its viewfinder, a component aptly named to remind me of a fundamental calling: to find views.