I've long been a botanical illustrator, experience that is reflected in my floral photos. It's no surprise that one of my favorite artists is Georgia O'Keeffe --- her incredible "macro" paintings of flowers, at once sensual and exquisite, guide my vision as I explore the inner recesses of each bloom. I'm also a huge fan of Imogen Cunningham and Robert Mapplethorpe.

My favorite floral subjects are calla lilies and magnolias --- both with simple, sensuous shapes, nothing fussy. In many cases, my goal is similar to O'Keeffe's: to capture a representational image in a way that renders it nearly abstract. Very few of my flowers depict the entire bloom — most are voyeuristic glimpses of a curve, a sensuous shape, a bath of vivid color.

I use a lot of my floral imagery for my Polaroid image transfer and SX-70 manipulation work. This work will be showcased with the work of other alternative process photographers in a book to be published at the end of 2006: "Alternative Photography - Art and Artists 2007".