My Photography Philosophy

What I love about photography is bringing out the best in someone, and of course, the more I know someone, the more I can bring out. You get the best stuff when the subject is comfortable with you, and you with them...which is why I prefer photographing people I know. It's also why you usually get your best stuff towards the end of a shoot, because that is when the photographer and the subject are most comfortable. And yes, I also enjoy making people look better than maybe they ever thought they could. I like to give them something that they'll cherish for the rest of their lives....something they can show their grandkids someday and proudly say "Yeah, that's me."
I've realized the value of photography. Nobody ever looks back at really old photos and says, "Boy, I'm sure sorry I have these."
No, we treasure them...whether they're embarrassing or not.

By the way, the man pictured above is Denzil Smith, a Character Artist who used to work with us at Disney, and a great guy.

1000 words

Ice Cream Smile

This is Lydia, daughter of my friend Natasha. When I'm photographing children, I often ask them to say "ICE CREAM" in order to get them to smile, instead of the traditional "CHEESE." But Lydia didn't give me a real smile until she GOT the ice cream.

Quinn

Today I did a photo shoot with John and his 8 year-old daughter, Meredith. They were both great sports and a pleasure to work with. We shot these up at the Vasquez Rocks. It was my first time there...what a beautiful place!

Wacky Jim!

Jim Franzen came into the office today....and since a lot of you know him, I thought I'd put up some shots I took of him earlier this year. He's quite a ham in front of the camera, and seems to have an elastic face.

Abbi in Central Park

This is Abbi, one of the sweetest people I know. She's only 9 years old, and has the most beautiful eyes you've ever seen. This was taken on Friday, October 27th in Central Park.

Hannah

This is Hannah. She's only 12 years old, but she's a natural in front of the camera. I'm sure that she'll be a superstar one day.

New York

This shot was taken from the top of the Empire State Building.