There is an unexplained magic in photography. Why a particular photograph is captivating, compelling, provocative and moving is sometimes hard to define. But it is this special moment frozen in time that strikes an emotional chord deep inside of us when the photograph is seen.
I worked as a staff photojournalist for The Philadelphia Inquirer from 1993 to 2008 where I covered a wide range of international, national and regional assignments. I have photographed stories in Somalia, Sierra Leone, India and the Niger Delta. I was also assigned to covered the conflict in Pakistan and Afghanistan after 9/11 and the conflict throughout Iraq in 2003.
Special projects published in The Philadelphia Inquirer include:
"Saving Philadelphia's Libraries" 2008.
“Guantanamo Bay, Cuba” 2007.
“Old City: Where We Live” 2004.
“Suriname: Logging and Tribal Rights” 2001.
“Campaign Trail: John McCain” 2000.
“Incident at Opia: Oil in the Delta region of Nigeria” 1999.
“Polio: The Death of a Disease in India” (five-part series) 1999.
“Somalia: A Nation in Name Only” 1998.
“Black Hawk Down" (a 29-part series which appeared in the newspaper and online) 1997.
“Suburbia: Marple Township, PA” 1997.
"Making pictures with content and visual impact are defining elements of good documentary photography. Being passionate and intuitive about photography brings elements or moments into a picture that cannot always be defined or expIained. I also believe it is important to be respectful and compassionate to the people I am photographing. The power of photography is its ability to communicate in a language that the world understands."
I have received national awards from The Society of Professional Journalists, Sigma Delta Chi, The Natiional Headliners Award, The Knight Ridder Excellence Awards for work in Central Asia and Pictures of the Year.
My family and I make our home in Center City Philadelphia. I am working on a book of photographs and words about my five-year-old son along with observations and reflections on being an older, second-time-around father.