1. How did you make your first dollar in photography?
Photographing a friend’s car.  But I didn’t get enough.

2. What was your strangest day as a photographer?
I plan ahead extensively and try real hard not to have many strange days.

A memorable day was after a sunset shoot on a dry lake.  We camped out right there on the lake bed to add a sunrise shot, in case it might be better.  In the middle of the night I found an assistant pacing in the desert.  He said this is the type of setting in movies when something weird always happens.  I told him to go back to sleep.  Nothing happened.  In the morning we got our shot.  When the sun came up, I made a huge breakfast  for everyone, right there in the desert.  The shoot was over, no phones, no stress, no place we had to be.  The warming sun after a cold night.  The tranquillity was fantastic.  The food was fantastic.  We just stayed there a while not wanting to leave.  We all could have stayed there forever.  It was great.

A somewhat strange shoot was a theme park.  We had lots of models, crew, theme characters, extras, and a hefty budget.  The art director arrived late as we were setting up and quietly asked how much they could save if they canceled the shoot now.  Seems some decision on the product deal wasn’t decided yet.  I sarcastically  told him about $50 was the total saving, so we went ahead with the whole production and didn’t tell anyone, not even my 1st  assistant.  I was determined to make a good shot even if it only went in my portfolio.  Well  the deal was okayed and they used the shot and now are the official product of the theme  park.

3. Who is your favorite photographer, past or present?
When I was in photo school, I admired the commercial work of Mickey McGuire, Arthur D’Arazin, Ezra  Stroller, and George DeGenerro’s food work.  Outside the commercial field, Paul Strand and all the other masters of photography.  The real early photographers captured feeling AND quality. Today quality is often sacrificed for feeling or mood.  Few photographers still put them BOTH together consistently.

4. Of all the photographs you’ve seen, which influenced you most?
Not a photo but still an image, Picasso’s Gernica has a devastating effect.  If you understand the horror it depicts then you understand the abstract artistry.  Then you “get it”.  You understand the image.  There is an abstract truth.  That’s a lot different than selling your vision for money.  Photography has a power that hasn’t been fully appreciated or realized yet.

5. What inspires you, outside of photography?
Gourmet cooking and fast driving: cooking is a lot like photography in that anyone can make dinner, but poached salmon with Chardonnay sauce is an art form.  It requires planning, preparation, and effort.  There are no lucky mistakes.  You also get to be the center of interest and appreciation when it all comes together perfectly.  A lot like photography.  I also love to get out on the track in a very fast car and enjoy sheer driving  speed.  Very, very fast, very, very smooth.  As close as you can get to the edge outside of racing.  I get no tickets on the highway since I’ve been doing this on the track regularly.