Artist Statement

I began photographing 16 years ago as a form of self-therapy. The death of my mother plunged me into a downward spiral until a chance encounter with nature set me on the path to recovery. Its vastness gave me a sense of perspective, while its majesty reignited a sense of wonder and adventure. Initially, the urge to photograph was born of a desperate desire to prolong the serenity that nature brought. Over time, I healed, and recalibrated the pace and direction of my life. I now photograph to celebrate and eternalize my serendipitous encounters with the natural world, as well as to impart the importance of nature’s therapeutic power.

Studies show that nature, or even images of nature, can provide symptom relief, lower stress levels, and reduce depression and anxiety. My photographs of the natural world provide a brief reprieve from life’s harsh realities, by reminding us of the beauty in all things delicate and fierce.

Influenced early on by 19th and 20th century European masters such as Monet, Renoir and Chagall, my artistic sensibilities are further steeped in Chinese and Japanese culture. I seek inspiration from contemporary painters like Li Huayi, Sumio Goto and Kaii Higashiyama.

My work consists of single-exposure images made in camera. I often photograph at intense moments, extreme temperatures or during snowstorms. My muses range from the common bugs to the otherworldly sun-pillars. The scenes are set in Hokkaido, Nagano and Aomori, Japan. These locations are very different but united by their extreme natural beauty.

As global warming advances, some of the subjects I pursue, such as the breathtaking phenomena of diamond dust and the traditional farming practice of dispersing charcoal powder to melt snow are disappearing. My images serve to preserve these landscapes before they become a memory of the past.