About | The Photographer

Biography

The attraction to photography started very early in my life and I had the luck of growing up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Its breathtaking nature was the backdrop for my first experiments in black and white. At age 14 I got my first SLR camera. I processed most films in my school's darkroom. However, the lack of my own darkroom and the immense challenges of developing colored film discouraged me from pursuing this field. Besides, my professional choice was in the health care field.
With my move from Switzerland to California May 2002, its captivating landscapes, the tremendous improvement of digital SLR cameras, as well as the digital darkroom rekindled my old passion for photography. My main areas of interest are landscape, wildlife and nature, especially in the American Southwest. Latter made me move from California to New Mexico end July 2010.

The Artist's Statement

I recall my childhood trips with my parents. The climb of Diavolezza with the grandiose view over the Bernina Massive in Switzerland, the magic and wonder of Sete Quedas and Foz de Iguaçu Falls in Brazil and the beauty of Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon's during winter, just to mention a few. I remember my f ascination for innumerous photography books of various beautiful spots around the world which opened my eyes, seeking to capture nature's beauty myself.
As a teenager I always had a passion for photography and in particular when capturing landscapes. Masters like Ansel Adams opened my eyes to the possibilities of photography as a fine art. Here indeed is a world where one has the freedom to express a visionary realm where time stands still and all the beauty of the moment and a place would be captured forever in an image.

Into the early and late night!

I love moody skies and extreme weather conditions but my favorite time to photograph is dusk - dawn and sunset - when you share the space with nature. These early and late moments in the day mean leaving my sleeping bag and tent as early as 3:30am in the summer months or returning to my tent at midnight to be on location when first light is at the right moment. I usually check the weather and moon phase to best judge tide, cloud, sun, moon and star movements before heading off on a photography trip.
The mood and atmosphere in the twilight hours are pure religion. I believe the essence of a good landscape shot comes down to exact composition, timing and light. Applying oneself closely to these fleeting artistic elements are the essential components of any great image. Mastering these technical aspects is a constant study which I find challenging and rewarding.