Why I photograph:

My love for nostalgia drew me to photography. My goal was to capture nuance and study it forever. So I began my career as a photojournalist of sorts, working out of a bag on my shoulder. But this solo line left me lonely, so eventually my shoots turned into larger, more collaborative efforts. This gratified the problem-solver in me. I thrive on tackling the sorts of obstacles that come with large studio shoots – be they creative, logistical, time-sensitive or financial – and I enjoy working with a team to create the ultimate images. What I like most about advertising photography is the opportunity to join forces with great art directors and stylists and assistants to create the perfect image. This group effort, pulling out all the stops, is what really excites me. I feel most at home when I’m leading productions, whether big or small. I bring 20 years of on-set experience to the table. Pressure brings out the perfectionist in me. Let's work together.

My Story- the Details:

I grew up on the Maryland side of the DC Beltway, attending a technical school for electronics in the mid-’80s, then working for the Associated Press in Washington as an electronics technician. Trouble calls to the area’s major news outlets and institutions – TV and radio stations, newspapers, even the White House, Capitol and deep inside the Pentagon – gave me a rare insider’s perspective, a taste of what it’s like to personally witness history. The job brought me face-to-face with many top news photographers, opening me to the idea of a career in the field. I decided to quit my job, head north, and study photography at Rochester Institute of Technology, where I earned my BFA. My brief foray into electronics definitely helped hone my technical side. This no doubt explains why I enjoy complicated sets and doing my own retouching. After graduating from RIT in 1995, I moved to Williamsburg, Brooklyn (then still an artists’ frontier), and set up a darkroom in my $600-a-month railroad apartment. In no time, I was shooting editorial assignments for Metropolis, Entertainment Weekly and ESPN. After many years of travel all over the U.S., and the world, for the likes of Fortune, The New York Times, New York magazine, Inc., Barron’s and Forbes, my focus turned to advertising assignments, where my passions lie today. After 19 years in the city – through 9/11, the Black Out of 2003, and the floods of Hurricane Sandy – my wife and I decided it was time for a change. So we packed up the kids and headed south, to the mountains of Asheville, NC.

Awards:

Communication Arts Photography Annual: 2018, 2017, 2015, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2002, 2001, 1999, 1998

American Photography 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2010, 2004

PDN Photo Annual 2012, 2011 & 2010