Table of Contents
Tell us about your first introduction to photography. What drew you into this world?
I was given a camera as a birthday gift from my Grandmother at age 10. My Grandmother was also a photographer and taught me the importance of remembering and photographing family. She helped to inspire me always to be curious about how the world looked in photographs, as Gary Winogrand once said. Later in life, people told me I should be a ‘professional’, and I photographed in NYC for places like Conde Nast and Live Nation.
Do you remember your first shot? What was it?
My first shot was Whinnie the Pooh at Disney in Orlando, Florida. I was on vacation with my family and watched a parade in the Magic Kingdom. I looked up at Whinnie as he waved at us and took a snapshot simply because I was happy.
My first photograph:
What kind of photography type do you focus more attention on? Which one(s)?
I have tried all styles of photography in my life. But I prefer portraits, lifestyle, streets, and landscape.
Who or what influenced you?
My Grandmother, my family, Robert Frank, Duane Michals, Daido Moriyama, Ed West, Romeo Di Loreto, David Turnley, Jordan Matter, Herbert Matter, Bob Gruen, and Vivian Maier have all greatly influenced me. I am lucky to have sought out many of my photographic heroes to speak with them.
Adventures continuously influence me also. It does not matter if I wander around the block with a camera or travel a great distance. I think it creates neuroplasticity in my mind to keep me creating.
What details do you believe make the best photographs?
The artist in me believes it is how you feel when you experience a photograph. I see the light, shadows, and color usage before the content.
The technical photographer in me believes that the camera settings have to be mathematically and scientifically correct to capture what is in my mind.
And the human in me reminds me that sometimes to capture the best details, it is best to throw all the rules out the window. I try to forget the limitations of my mind to create something I have never done.
How do you educate yourself to take better photos?
I was trained by my Grandmother originally. Later in life, I ended up at the University of Michigan’s art school program. I knew how to photograph technically, but it opened my mind to how to approach photography further and how to think.
And post-school, I constantly read, experiment, watch videos, or attend workshops that interest me to keep my chops sharp. I believe that trying to learn something new every day is essential.
What was the best piece of advice you were given starting?
ABS = Always Be Shooting. If your camera is sitting idle, you are not making what you want to make.
You are known for photographing landscape photography? What draws your initial interest in a place?
I am known for portraits, lifestyle, street, fine art, and landscape photography.
For interest in place for landscapes in specific, I like to start with fresh air and sun. Generally, areas without people interest me more. It gives me time to think as a photographer and writer. And this allows me to understand more.
The photograph is often a pause button in time for me in the landscape, particularly to remember where I was and what I was thinking of at that time.
What equipment do you use?
When the pandemic hit, I sold 99.9% of my equipment. I am taking a more minimalistic approach to photography these days.
I kept a Nikon D750 with a 35mm F2 lens.
I also bought a small Sony RX100 when I moved to Colombia. It is very unassuming to be able to make photographs with and has all of the settings that I ever need.
Do you spend a lot of time editing your work? Why?
When I first started photography, I believed that Photoshop was the answer.
I did not understand that figuring out things like light, color, and composition were necessary at first.
I wasted a lot of time in my life trying to polish ‘bad photography.
But now, I do not spend a lot of time editing. I understand how to get what I want out of my camera which saves me time.
If I do edit, normally it is in Lightroom, and I spend around five minutes or less per image to adjust light, color, contrast, and clarity. I also run profile corrections and may make a slight crop.
I have nothing against editing. I worked as a professional retoucher for a while, also in New York. But these days for my photography I prefer more shooting and less time in front of a computer.
