I have always loved pairing photographs. In Italy, I became immediately fascinated by the many amazing contrasts, seemingly irreconcilable but in fact coexisting almost comfortably. These contrasts are largely obvious: sacred and profane; piety and sex (especially in advertising); ancient and modern; the real and the fake; all the usual suspects.

These pairs were chosen based on visual harmonies and contrasts as well as cultural and ideological relationships. Many interesting pairs do not appear on this site because other, more compelling combinations required duplicating an image. I have years of selecting, printing, and combining images that I shot during that year.

All my Italy images are digital; before going to Rome I shot only film. I do not crop, although I will rotate modestly and adjust small convergences of verticals and horizontals. I respect original color, although I do the equivalent of burning and dodging to compensate for uncontrollable lighting conditions. I do not use flash.