The way I got started in photography is a story similar to dozens of others I have heard. As a kid, I watched my father shoot pictures. Though it was not his profession, he had a lot of passion for image-making. At minimum, he loved cameras—he possesed quite a few. I never got to have a conversation with him regarding what excited him about photography because he died in a car accident when I was seven. Though he was gone, the cameras remained. There was a Kodak Retina 35mm, a Zeiss Ikon 120mm and a Polaroid. I got some film from somewhere—
I have no memory of how—and started taking pictures.
I made a million mistakes. And some of those mistakes
were beautiful. It is now many years, many rolls of film and many cameras later (though, yes, I still have the Zeiss Ikon). Along the way, I've had the chance to absorb some real knowledge. I learned a lot from talented friends, from instructors at ICP (where I eventually got a chance to teach) and from the many professional photographers I've had a chance to work with in my advertising career. For the photo below I give thanks and credit to my mother's cousin John. He shot this when we visited him in California (my first trip to the West). I chose this for my profile image because it will never become outdated. That moment will always be an accurate record of where I began.
Instructor: International Center of Photography
Instructor: PNCA
Advertising Creative Director: Rain (Current),
Ogilvy, DDB, Hill Holiday, Y&R, Chiat
Graduate: Syracuse University
My work has appeared in an assortment of periodicals, websites, ads and shows.