My success as a photographer is thanks to my failure as a painter.

I grew up with a father who was an amazing artist.  He could see the light in ways that no-one else could and, using only canvas and oils, reflect the world back to you in scenes of stunning beauty.  I spent many hours of my childhood in the garage with my dad, watching him practice his craft while I painted my clumsy little pictures of fish.  We'd laugh, drink wine and grape juice, and cheer whenever Tony Dorsett scored a touchdown on our nineteen-inch black and white. 

Ah.  Good times.

I gotta tell you, though, my paintings sucked.  And it didn't help that all I wanted to paint were barracudas and guppies.  My dad was bigger than life to me and his paintings even more so.  Grand vistas of spanish galleons in a storm or a cock fight in a New Orleans back room were so spectacular that I knew I could never hope to match his talent or skill.  One afternoon I stacked up all my pictures of groupers, sharks and clown fish and stuck them away in the back of the garage.

Dad was as smart as he was talented, however.  And he loved me enough to give me my own way to express myself.  We didn't have any money back then so he bought a ten-year-old Mamiya and two lenses off of a friend, and gave them to me for Christmas.  I hated that camera but I loved it, too.  I hated it because I'd shoot a hundred pictures and ninety-nine would be crap.  I loved it because the one that wasn't crap was really good.

A hobby became a pastime which in turn became a career. I honed my craft in the military, where I learned the principals of photojournalism while serving overseas. I got an agent and started selling more and more of my images to various publishers.  After eight years in uniform I became a civilian to pursue editorial photography and I shot for a variety of corporate clients and publications including Wine Spectator, Cigar Afficionado, Excellence Magazine, Time, Outside and Men's Journal, to name but a few.  I've gathered a few of my more recent tear sheets together so you can check out a little of my magazine work.

Ten years ago I made the mistake of bad-mouthing wedding photography to a wedding photographer.   He dared me to go with him to a wedding and I was instantly hooked. No other form of photography asks so much of the photographer and gives so much in return. No two weddings are ever the same and the opportunities to create great images are more numerous than anywhere else in life. I have now photographed over four hundred weddings here and abroad and I can honestly say that each and every couple holds a special place in my heart.

Along the way I also found time to act as cinematographer on an independent film which was well received at film festivals on both coasts. My love of cinema and the filmmaking process has done as much to influence my still photography as my training as a photojournalist.

Lately I've found myself returning more and more to the challenges of the commercial and editorial world, stretching my wings as I take on new and exciting assignments from a variety of clients.  I'll never leave weddings behind completely, as there is nothing as emotional rewarding as being part of a wedding, but I'm enjoying the opportunity to take my career in new directions.

Of course, I still can't paint worth a damn.  But, thanks to my dad, I'm okay with that.