Fisherman at Sunrise, Lands End. 2020.

Silver Gelatin Print

Can we see time? The recession of the rugged coastline, erosion formed textures, and rising sea levels; I am drawn to the inherently ephemeral nature of shorelines. Carleton Watkins was pulled to photograph Seal Rocks in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). I also feel a deep connection to this landscape. Some moments I have captured of the iconic rocks seem to remain static calling back to his work, but the landscape within GGNRA has also transformed.


For the past seven years, I have been documenting the shoreline within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. My process is slow and methodical, surveying the area and capturing the landscape on black and white medium format film. This time spent in the landscape is important to my artistic process. I’m photographing at sunrise the majority of the time. The light is warm, soft, and diffused. The combination of the film, paper, developer and even the enlarger I use can produce a high contrast gelatin silver print. Therefore, I try to avoid high contrast shooting situations like high noon and full sun.

With millions of visitors in 2019, GGNRA was the most visited site in the National Park System. The human interaction, just like time, shapes the cultural landscape. My images lack or minimize the figure in the landscape. When they do appear, it’s deliberate. Showing how we interact with the landscape is important in this work. Growing up in northeastern Pennsylvania, I was drawn to the rapidly changing landscape surrounding the Delaware River, located within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. A heavily visited area for New York City and Philadelphia tourists, I could physically see time passing in the fragile landscape. Now living in San Francisco, I find that same relationship to the diverse coastal environment within GGNRA.

Pelicans Over Flag Rock, Lands End, California. May 2023.

Seal Rocks, Lands End, California. August 2023.

Pelicans Over Seal Rocks, Lands End, California. May 2023.

Landslide at Lands End, California. January 2023.

Coastal Flood Sea Foam, Ocean Beach. January 2023.

Seal Rocks and King Tides at Sunset, California. January 2023.

King Tide & the Golden Gate, Lands End. 2022. 

Trees at Baker Beach, California. 2020.

Silver Gelatin Print

Sutro Bath Ruins Diptych, 2015 | 2021.

Silver Gelatin Print

Driftwood and Fog, Rodeo Beach. 2020.

Silver Gelatin Print

Moon over Seal Rocks at Sunrise, California. 2020.

Silver Gelatin Print

Formations, Headlands. 2020.

Silver Gelatin Print

Early Morning, Rodeo Beach. 2020.

Silver Gelatin Print

Formations at Sunrise, Headlands. 2020.

Silver Gelatin Print

Fog at Rodeo Beach, Headlands. 2020.

Silver Gelatin Print

The Golden Gate at Night, California. 2020.

Silver Gelatin Print

Couple atop Seal Rocks, California. 2020.

Silver Gelatin Print

Seal Rocks, California. 2020.

Silver Gelatin Print

View from Battery Rathbone Mclndone, California. 2020.

Silver Gelatin Print

Lands End, California. 2019.

Silver Gelatin Print

Seal Rocks, California. 2018.

Silver Gelatin Print

The Golden Gate from Marin Headlands, California. 2017.

Gelatin Silver Print

Point Bonita, California. 2017. 

Silver Gelatin Print

The Golden Gate from Horseshoe Bay, California. 2017.

Silver Gelatin Print

Trees, California. 2016.

Silver Gelatin Print

 Seal Rocks, California. 2015 .

Silver Gelatin Print

Battery Crosby, California. 2015.

Silver Gelatin Print

Sea Cliff, California. 2014.

Silver Gelatin Print

Sutro Bath Ruins, California. 2014.

Silver Gelatin Print

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