TKM Photography

Assisted Self-Portrait

To Know More

Considering that we use our sight as our primary means of gaining information and verifying our ideas, it is a wonder to me how little of the world I see without making a conscious effort. I have discovered that having a camera with me, even if it doesn’t ever leave my pack, encourages me to experience my surroundings in a way most people miss.

I’ve also noticed that when I take or view a photograph, my interpretation of the subject is forever changed. The goal I have for the photographs I show to others is that they would help you to experience the world in a new and exciting way. Maybe the next time you walk outside you will be looking for those seemingly insignificant views that make our world such an immensely beautiful place.

Photography helps us to know more about our environment, and the more we know, the more we can appreciate and recognize its value. We should all do our parts to make sure that photographs don’t become our only means of seeing a beautiful landscape. Though they may inspire us, to experience the world with all our senses gives us infinitely more than any photograph ever could.

Photography helps us to know more about our creator, to know His unending creativity and attention to the finest detail. When we learn to really see the beauty in God’s creation, we will learn how much He loves us and rejoice in each day of life He gives us. Photography won’t solve life’s problems, but it can point us in the right direction.

Photography helps us to know more about ourselves and each other. Each time I am out in the field I gain a little more understanding of what inspires me, and sometimes I can even figure out why. When I display a print I’m telling you about what makes me happy, and letting you decide whether you are similar or different from me. If you purchase a print as a gift, you can be telling the recipient about yourself or about how you perceive them. Photography is a beautiful way of expressing ourselves to others.

Assisted Self-Portrait 2

To Know Me

Carrying a camera into the outdoors is something I’ve done since I was in high school, but those cameras were the kind that never returned after you dropped them off at the one-hour photo shop. While in college, I received a pair of Olympus OM-2s’s from my grandfather, and I began to explore the tricky world of SLR’s. I remember excitedly showing a friend how I could make the shutter stay open for over a second, so needless to say there was a steep learning curve.

Today, though I travel occasionally, I specialize in photographing my hometown of Juneau, Alaska. Juneau is in the middle of the Tongass National Forest, and it boasts a spectacular variety of natural beauty. Well over half of my time spent recording new photos is directed toward Juneau’s Mendenhall Glacier. Even if I don’t have the many years of experience in photography that some do, I have hundreds of hours more experience in creating glacial imagery than most.

When it comes to the WHY behind my photography, I’ve become increasingly less able to separate my motivation for taking pictures from my spiritual and religious beliefs. I have a goal for my photos that they would increase people understanding of Him who created all the world. It might be a total turn-off for some viewers, but my desire is to create photographs of natural scenes that show us something about God.