What was your first camera?
My father gave me a two-and-a-quarter by two-and-three-quarter Zeiss Icon bellows camera when
I was in my early teens. I could not afford the film processing, so I wanted to learn how to process
my own film. The Zeiss produced images of a very high quality but the fastest shutter speed -
1/125th of a second - was not very useful for sports. I borrowed a twin-lens reflex two-and-a-quarter
film camera and a Kodak Instamatic 126 before buying a Minolta SRT 100 35mm SLR.
What camera(s) do you currently own?
I am a member of both Nikon and Canon Professional Services. I currently own quite a bit of
equipment from both brands - everything from point-and-shoot to professional DSLR cameras.
I still own a couple of Minolta film cameras, but they have not been used since 2000.
Are you self-taught or did you attend school for photography?
My education came through the school of trial-and-error guided by Kodak technical books. The first
photo class that I attended was in 1978 when I walked through the door as the instructor.
How did you get interested in photography?
It's been so long ago - more than four decades - that I really do not recall where the interest started.
I do remember an initial interest in high school, but it wasn't until after my first year of college that I
decided to exchange my love of music for photography.
Who was your biggest influence?
There were two significant and highly influencial individuals that made a huge impact on my photographic
career - Jack Turner and Gary Spicer. Jack provided the technical foundation. Gary was responsible for
the artistic development.
Jack Turner was an inspirational high school Science teacher that provided my first instruction in the
darkroom side of photography. Photography was not part of the regular curriculum. Lucky for me, Jack
proved to be one of those educators willing to dedicate his time, materials, and equipment for my budding
interest after class. The basic darkroom knowledge that I gained from him carried me through 25 years of
film photography.
The second influence was an incredibly talented artist by the name of Gary Spicer. He has the rare
ability to both create great art, and effectively instruct others in those same creative techniques.
Spicer's influence allowed me to take my natural intuition for lighting and turn it into a true
reasoning and understanding of the function of highlights and shadows in both art and photography.
When was your big break in photography?
My career has been a sequence of big breaks - opportunities of being in the right place at the right
time. I was fortunate in the first couple of years of my career. In February 1975, the Washington Post
published two of my photos on the front page of their sports section. The tear sheet from that job became
my advertisement for future assignments. A few months later, I began working as a contract photographer
for the sports marketing department of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and their involvement with NASCAR,
IMSA, AMA, NHRA, and IHRA racing. Both of those opportunities opened doors for an interesting career
path.
What is your favorite thing to shoot?
Whatever is next...
What topic do you enjoy shooting for personal interest?
Living on Kauai, Hawaii, gives me the luxury of being
surrounded by world-class scenery year round. Also, I have acquired quite a reputation as an artistic
figure photographer throughout Europe based on personal and private photographic artworks. That work
is enjoyable because it is so creatively demanding. I search for new challenges and new learning
opportunities every day.
Where is your favorite place to shoot?
Aside from Kauai, the tropical island where I live, and Las Vegas and the surrounding Mojave Desert,
where I work - every few years I'm drawn back to the remote stretches of streams in the mountains of
Virginia near where I was born. In the distance of less than one mile are a variety - in both size
and qualtity - of rock formations and waterfalls. The scenery is fabulous and changes with each visit.
I also love the rocky coastlines of the US West Coast and southern Australia. There is character
and art in the surroundings that lend themselves to the subject, and in turn, to the depth of
creative images.
Did you ever study with famous photographers?
No, but some famous and award-winning photographers have started coming to me for private instruction
in photographic studies,primarily outside of their specialized field.
Fame is an interesting concept. Many photographers have earned great honors for their specialized images.
But, they are barely known outside of their specialty. Many talented photographers are recognized more
for their images than their name. Most famous modern photographers have built their names
through the New York media market. And that fame is not always based on raw talent or artistic skill or
craftsmanship.
When I began my career in motorsports photography, there were very few specialists or famous photographers
in the field. In the my early years, I simply didn't have enough experience to know what questions to ask.
And, I did not have the reputation to garner the attention of my more famous elders. As my knowledge and
reputation grew, I became competition. By then, most were unwilling to share insights and
information.
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