Q. HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN PHOTOGRAPHY?
I was the fourth grade when President Kennedy was assassinated. The resulting images from the tragedy attracted me to the medium.
Q. YOU’VE BEEN A PHOTOGRAPHER SINCE YOU WERE TEN?
Yes. I did it through high school and had dreams of being a war photographer in Vietnam, but the war ended so I pursued downhill ski racing at a national level.
Q. HOW’D THAT WORK OUT?
It was a humbling experience. Where I came from, I was the best skier around. Then I started training with members of the US Ski Team and I quickly realized I could not get to their level.
Q. WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU TRIED?
I left downhill ski racing for bicycle racing for cash prizes for six years. Worked as a roadie for a punk band in the early 80′s and drove for UPS. Took those skills and made the somewhat unorthodox transition to a Wall Street firm, Pru Bache. Went independent in 1990, became a Registered Investment Advisor and advised clients in the investment arena for 23 years.
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Q. PHOTOGRAPHY AND FINANCE? STRANGE BEDFELLOWS.
Not really. From my financial side I’m trained to put my clients’ needs first. For a bride preparing for her biggest day that is a crucial element. Finance and Photography are also about problem solving. Weddings in particular are incredibly challenging on a technical level.
Q. HOW SO?
Weddings combine art, science and people. I discovered the hard way that not only did I have to get the shots, oftentimes I had to run the wedding and manage the clock. Weddings have very little leeway in scheduling, and I had to ride herd on the other vendors to make sure we kept to the schedule. It’s like being down by a touchdown, on the 1 yard line, into the wind with no time outs. For eight straight hours.
Q. SCARY?
Can be. The two most dangerous types of photography are combat and wedding. I’m not sure which is more hazardous…
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Q. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR HOBBIES?
I have a track record of turning hobbies into careers.
Q. YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING FOR DOWN TIME...
I read a lot. I figure I’ve read 40 books a year for the last 35 years. I’ve also started playing pickleball which is an amazing sport.
Q. WHY DON’T YOU WRITE A BOOK?
Working on that now.
It’s called “Ice skates don’t have brakes”.
Q. REALLY? WHAT’S THAT ALL ABOUT?
Long story, you’ll have to read it.
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Q. 5 FAVORITE MOVIES?
Top Five…
• Godfather
• Kingdom of Heaven
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Braveheart
• Shawshank Redemption
• Saving Private Ryan
• My Cousin Vinny
• The Hangover
Q. THAT’S EIGHT...
Ehhhh…
Q. EXPLAIN THE PICTURES FROM AFRICA IN YOUR PORTFOLIO?
I am actively involved in two non profits- I co-founded Friends of El Salvador in 2002, where we’ve built houses (51 to date) and schools for the rural poor, and I am active with Friends of Sudan. We raise money to dig wells in tribal areas with no water. We were there in 2008, and were the first white people they had seen, and it was the first camera they had seen. I am in possession of the only photographs in the world of these people. It was a wild trip- lots of tribal blood sacrifices of bulls…
Q. FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT BEING A PHOTOGRAPHER?
1. As a photographer you are often in the front row of life.
2. Positive affirmation and the personal connection. As an investment advisor, when things went right it was expected. When things went wrong, it was all my fault. As a photographer, I have found that people really like my work and when I see a mom tear up looking at her daughter’s pictures, I know that all is right in the world. This is my calling. I am meant for this.
Q. THE THING YOU LIKE THE LEAST ABOUT BEING A PHOTOGRAPHER?
I would really like to find my tape-measures, scissors and gaffers tape. I seem to spend a lot of time wandering around the studio looking for those…
Q. HEROES?
Mother Teresa , Felix Baumgartner, my wife Adriana
Q. GOALS?
To be better than last week.
Q. I SAW A LINK TO NILMDTS. WHAT’S THAT?
It’s an organization I volunteer with. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep provides parents of still-born children with portraits, to give them a lasting memory and help with their bereavement. It is always a very moving and poignant experience.
Q. THE MEANING OF LIFE?
Simple- to seek the well being of others. My staff flourished when we performed well, my clients flourished when we delivered great images. It brought significance to our lives, and told us we were on the right path.
