Making photographs of the desert was a fitting place to begin a series of work in Los Angeles and greater southern California. While there are parallels between the two abundant sunshine, lacks of water, little rain they are diametric opposites in practical terms. My night photographs in the desert inspired me to turn the camera on the crowded city of Loa Angeles. In L. A. I sought absence amid a cultural landscape. A desert in the nation’s second largest city.

In 2001 I traveled along a remote beach near Malibu. Looking east I could see the expanse of Los Angeles glowing in the distance. Reminded of desert travel at night, I began a series of photographs within the city itself, and initiated an ongoing exploration of California by night.

This work is one story of the greater Loa Angeles landscape. Layered in concrete, the L.A. basin is a vast expanse of developed space. The hills and mountains in the city make L.A. a ripe subject - a place with open space that offers sanctuary from the city itself. The decision to photograph L.A. at night comes from a desire for exploration, and the simple act of discovery. I am interested in emptiness and the notion of absence in my photographs. Darkness and light describe the geography of L.A., and offer a metaphor of the industry on which the city is built. Looking at Los Angeles I am interested in spaces that describe it as a real place, rather than one filled with iconic landmarks. It is inevitable that the two occasionally merge, although much of the work only hints at a city known to millions.