Photographers often refer to “seeing” and “vision” when discussing their work and the process of creating images. There's no doubt that what separates one photographer from another has little to do with equipment or technique, and almost everything to do with the ability to see a strong image amongst the nearly infinite number of viewpoints we experience every minute of every day. Sifting through this visual overload to ferret out meaningful compositions is the essence of photography.

The image “Plants in Water” is unusual when viewed in the context of my other work. I’m typically drawn to scenes that encompass a large depth of field from just in front of the camera out to the horizon and beyond. This particular image depicts a small group of plants reflected in a still pool of water. The perspective is close in and flat, and the image has an abstract quality. The genesis of the photo is interesting in that I walked right past the scene and it was my wife Michael who called me back and pointed out the image. Her vision, not mine, made this photograph. This also happens to be one of my most successful images in terms of both sales and positive feedback from viewers. She deserves the credit because it was her vision that made it possible. My only contribution was the mechanical process of focusing the lens, setting the exposure, and pressing the shutter.