What type of photography do you do?
I shoot mostly Commercial work including Cosmetic Style Beauty and Fashion. I also get calls from the regular girl who wants to be in the spotlight for the day.
What is your medium (digital or film)?
I shoot mostly digital these days, but I tend to grab a Hasselblad from the shelf or a 4×5 camera for something fresh.
What kind of camera do you use?
I shoot digital with different Canon Pro Bodies - 1ds Mark II, 5D, 5D Mark II, 21/4 with a Hasselblad and 4×5 with a Omega view camera.
How long have you been in the industry?
I have been a Photographer for over 25 years starting with portraits and still lifes and then moving to fashion and beauty.
How did you get your start?
I was studying at the High School of Art & Design and Retained Photography as my major. I went on to study at FIT and took Technical Photography courses at RIT in Rochester New York. When I came back into the city I started testing with all the major agencies at the time and even got jobs through the bookers.
Who/Where do you look to for inspiration?
I believe most New York photographers get their fashion style from what they see out of Europe. That was my earlier stages (my favorite magazine at that time was “Harper Bazaar - Italian”). But, I’m always an Old Master Fan: I loved the tones from Ansel Adams and the style and lighting of Richard Avedon, Robert Mapplethorpe and Helmut Newton added eroticism and stylized Black and White. These are a few of the photographers I look up to. I am also enthralled and captivated by story based photography now, but I have only found a few that express anything interesting. I am looking into mixed media work now and I am finding a lot of great work coming out of Asia - my new inspiration.
What do you look for in a model?
I like people who have a unique look with a great personality. It’s hard to mold someone who is overbearing and I feel a model is like clay and I’m the sculptor. I shoot beauty mostly, so height is not so important. I look at a models ability to act as well.
What was your most memorable shoot?
This is a hard question for me since I’ve shot for so long. Most all of my shoots are in my memory. Some I have completely forgot about and only know about them because I have the pictures to prove I did it. If I really had to pick one that sticks out in my memory it would be a dress shirt line I shot for Montel Williams - the tv host. It’s memorable because they turned it into a circus with tv news and paparazzi. This happened when I was much younger and Montel Williams was still popular, of course. I was never told about the media coming in with extra cameras and such and had to do my best with my crew to get the job done with the extra madness going on around me. I had no PA (Production Assistant) to coordinate people around me so I just shot and actually got great stuff out of the shoot even with the other photographers shooting over my shoulder. I guess it’s one of those worst/best days in shooting that just sticks in my mind.