I spent some time on the East Coast recently, visiting several friends of mine who are a part of the Cameracraftmen of America. Since 1998, I have been honored to be a part of this prestigious 40 member group that gathers together every year for fellowship and inspiration.

It was an opportune time for me to get away this January, since our Christmas season was the busiest season we’ve ever had. I needed some time to mentally regroup, and consider changes for our 2006 year. I also wanted to get feedback about the latest images we are creating, and about which I am really excited.

My passion, and if I might say, my greatest talent, lies in creating formal portraits. These are rich and elegant images that elevate portrait photography to new heights. Though I have often been asked to create casual studio portraits, my concern is that these images will not be as truly appreciated over time, and could be seen as nothing more than “glorified snapshots”.

The images I love to create are inspired by great master painters such as Jan Vermeer and John Singer Sargent. These men brought great technical and compositional skills to the art of portraits. Their art celebrated elegance, beauty and life. Such is my desire as well.

This year, we will be presenting a new direction in our portraiture that will retain the elegance and style of a Brandes Salon portrait, with even more of a resemblance to the painters whose work inspires me. These portraits will be costly, but worth every cent in their unusual, and stunning presentation. No traditional painter can capture the realism of expression of which this work is capable.

We will be planning a formal unveiling of this new body of work, and I am excited to share them with you!