Simple Beauty - Studies in Self-Reference

With this series Simple Beauty, my aim was to capture the elegance and grace of the female spirit. To share in their natural beauty and mystery of being, yet, secretly wishing to leave traces of their identity forever. My images are not portraits - they are studies - yet they radiate the individuality of my subjects through their emotion-laced gestures. My studies blend formal and sensual qualities, but they do not reside merely in the middle of the conventional spectrum - the women whom I represent exist for themselves. The other half of the photographic process - the technique and especially the printing - is as important to me as practice of relating to my subjects. I chose platinum/palladium as a medium for its distinct vintage quality and archival properties for this vision. Platinum/palladium images reveal shadows and dark values beautifully.