I am very passionate about my photography and very selective on whom I agree to shoot.  I like to create images that are stand-alone art, not typical sterile portfolio type material.  Often times, models are just one part of the image; not the entire focus. 

It’s all about mystery and mood to me and it’s why lighting is so key to my images.  I want to hide things and maintain some mystery there.  I love natural lighting (especially low-in-the-sky sunlight), but have just bought a studio lighting system that I am learning to use.  I shoot a wide variety of topics and like to challenge myself; I get bored shooting the same thing.  I enjoy location shoots, taking advantage of unusual areas: quarries, construction sites, fountains, cemeteries, etc.  Urban decay is always an interesting theme.  There are some aspects of glamour photography I like, but many I do not.  I gravitate to models with natural beauty; girl next-door types.  Bleach-blondes with implants are of no interest to me because I wish to use photography to give a deeper glimpse the soul of that person and celebrate whatever body shape they have, not to promote the stereotypical waif-model figure.  I am equally interested in shooting male models.

I like models who are enthusiastic and bring ideas with them.  I view shoots as opportunities for collaboration and I want the models to be as happy with the results as I am.  I will not tolerate tardiness and I will respect you and your time just as I expect in return.  I am extremely professional in my attitude and tend to be very focused and serious when taking pictures.  This contrasts to my off-camera time when I’m constantly making people laugh.  I would much prefer to have a few models to work with repeatedly than deal with new people all the time.  This way, we understand each other’s personalities and how we like to work.

Other than my signature b&w portrait work, I like to place models in contrasting settings.  For example, a model in a wedding gown eating a cheeseburger at a dinner, a well-dressed model in a grungy alleyway, etc.  You get the idea.  With a great love of nature, I also love to place models in natural settings: waterfalls, woods, fields, water…

A note on compensation:

Compensation has to be agreed upon prior to any shoot.  I will do selected TFCD/P (trade for CD of the images or prints) if a model can enhance my portfolio like I can him or hers’. 
Models desiring prints have generally chosen a 3’x2’ enlargement of the image of their choice, usually in metallic inks; these are incredible!  Standard copyright agreement to be signed prior to any shoot regardless of the financial compensation.  If you like to have a copy before the shoot, I would be happy to give you one.

A note on nudity: nudity has a place is art that is sometimes abused.  This area can also lead to problems as there are different interpretations as to what is artistic and what is not.  As mentioned above, I prefer to leave a lot more mystery than reveal a body’s secrets.  That mystery translates to power in the image.  Nudity or implied nudity must be discussed prior to any shoot.  I will never suggest something of this nature during a shoot when it was not discussed previously.  If you have a need for these types of images in your portfolio, please discuss this with me beforehand.  I will only shoot this type of material if I have a female assistant present or if we already have a working relationship.  If a model is not comfortable, it translates to the image and makes it worthless.  It is priority-one that the models feel comfortable and happy during a shoot.  If they are not, I expect them to communicate this to me.

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