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There are stories which are untold!

I have always liked this statement because photography is a speculative interpretation of life. It questions perceptions of reality. In my work, I want to examine the relationship between photography and reality and stimulate the viewer to project her or his own interpretation, thus becoming an integral part of the creative process.

I reject the kind of photography which runs off an ever revolving template and creates glossy views of life and glamorised faces retouched beyond recognition. In my photographs of people, I aim to de-construct glamour by exposing people's natural beauty and the person within a body.

Another concept which informs my photography is emotions and associations: What I feel when I look at a subject, how I communicate this experience through my photographs, and how this affects and is interpreted by the viewer.

Ceci n'est pas une pipe (René Magritte)

One might argue that all photography represents reality. After all, it is just the reflected light captured in the fraction of a moment. But is this really true? And if it is true, where is the art in it?

Photographs are not created in an instant. They are the result of a number of activities - constructing the scene, composition, exposure settings and the pressing of the shutter release button, not to mention the various tasks that need to be performed after the actual exposure. The photographer has a choice in each of these steps. He decides what is real at the moment of capture. This reality may differ from the reality when the finished photograph is viewed.

When I first set out to use photography as a way of expressing myself, reality was an important issue. I wanted my photographs to be authentic and not altered in any way. My answer then is a little bit different: "Ceci n'est pas une pipe". René Margritte's painting of a pipe stating that the pipe in the picture is not a pipe explains the point. It is not a pipe - it is a painting of a pipe. My claim that the object itself, not what it depicts, is the work of art is not a new concept - not even in photography - but it shows that some issues in the philosophy of art are of continued interest and relevancy.

A picture is worth a thousand words

I don't have a specific preference for any brand or system. I feel confortable with any camera, so don't take this list as a tools suggestion, but more as a simple information if you are curious to know what camera I use in my shootings.

I learned that any camera brand or lenses you have doesn't make a big difference: what is important is your vision and skills.

I use: polaroid SX70, polaroid 600, Canon 20D, Mamiya RB67, Foca, Exakta IIb, Holga, ToyCam (Intel CS630)

There're no rules for good photos... ... there're only good photos (Ansel Adams)

Comparing digital to traditional photography is a bit like comparing a microwave oven to fire. One has all the ease of use, convenience and speed, but the other has style, exquisite quality and atmosphere.

Digital or traditional - there is no right or wrong and no one medium is intrinsically better than another. The mere existence of one technology does not invalidate the use of another.

A digital photograph can be created quicker and cheaper. More aspects of a traditional photograph are made by hand. All of this can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on why and for what purpose a photograph is created.