Born in Fribourg, Switzerland in 1963, Gross began making pictures at the age of of eight and has been hooked ever since. He moved to Honolulu in 1985 and earned a doctoral degree in psychology at the University of Hawaii in 1996. His doctoral work combined two passions: photography and Taoism, which lead to a best-selling book: The Tao of Photography: Seeing beyond Seeing -published in 2001 by Ten Speed Press. Gross has received several awards for his work, and his photographs have been published in a variety of journals and magazines.
Artist's Statement
My photography is the result of a photographic practice I discovered by chance as a teenager some twenty-five years ago. It is the simple practice of free and easy wandering with a camera. It involves being attuned to the surrounding environment and its never-ending flow of surprises.
Awards
2020: Black and White Smartphone 2020 Award (Published in B&W #143, Jan 2021)
2020: 2nd Edition of Minimalist Photography Awards: Honorable Mention in Landscape Category
2011: Honolulu Magazine (6th Annual Photo Contest)—First Place
2010: 10th Ricoh Photo Contest—Performance Award
2009: Honolulu Magazine (5th Annual Photo Contest)—First Place
2008: Honolulu Magazine (4th Annual Photo Contest)—Best in Show
2007: Honolulu Magazine (First Honorable Mention, Manipulated Digital)
2005: Single Image Contest Awards: B&W Annual 2005 (Merit Award)
2001: Commitment to Excellence. Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce (Yomiuri America, Inc. Outstanding Newcomer's Award)
2000: Light and Shadow. Museum of Natural History, Fribourg, Switzerland (Ninth Prize)
1995: Hawaii Photographic Society Small Prints Contest (First Prize for Color)
1993: Photographer's Forum Magazine (Award of Excellence)
1984: L'opticien Suisse (Second Prize)
1979: Belluard (Switzerland) Annual Photography School Contest (First Prize)