I am, essentially, a thief. That’s all there is to it. I am a thief.

When I travel, I often find myself in a profoundly beautiful place, and my first instinct is to take away some record of my deep synapse with that place. So when I travel, I carry my camera. I love to take photographs, but try as I might to take good photographs, for the most part I usually end up with nothing more than a bunch of snapshots. Big difference. And it’s OK. They’re often fun to look at, and when occasionally there is a good one, most times it is but a faint echo of someone else’s great photograph that I’ve seen somewhere before. Someone else’s vision. Nevertheless, I love the headspace, the focus, the viewfinder, the tlickthap of the mirror. If I didn’t carry my camera, I’d draw more.

Often I take pictures of things. Or pleasant views. It’s great. The world is full of interesting and beautiful things and stupendous views. But other times a place invites me to see things as color, light, dark, pattern, shades, and so on–elements that contrubute to interesting photographs. Then I look with a different frame, and sometimes the artifact is pleasant to look at. So here, finally, is a space where I can leave pictures rather of take them. I have a deep history of theft to repay.

Here are artifacts of places that have inspired me. Enjoy!

Better yet, go out and look.