Photographer, Jim Westphalen has always had an affinity for the built landscape; those features and patterns reflecting human occupation within the natural surroundings. His current body of work entitled, Vanish is an ongoing narrative that speaks to the decay of iconic structures across rural America. Inspired by such painters as Andrew Wyeth, Edward Hopper and A. Hale Johnson, Jim’s photographs open like windows to a world that is rapidly disappearing before our eyes. He captures his dynamic images using a vintage 4x5 view camera adapted for digital capture and then creates his large scale archival prints using a variety of acid free rag papers. Largely self taught, Westphalen has been a professional photographer for over 30 years. Born and raised on Long Island, New York, in 1996 he moved to Vermont to be closer to the rural landscape that he loves.