Portrait of Cathy, 1966, and me a some years later with my Exacta.

    By ten I was processing film and making darkroom prints, some of which were exhibited at a local art gallery where my mom worked. Eventually people started offering to pay me to take pictures. Still, I considered it a hobby and chose to study Marine Biology. If you know me well, you will be well aware of my love of the ocean and nature. After college I set out to make money but had no marketable skills and I did't see myself working on a shrimp farm! Photography was really my only option. I beat down every door I could think of. I got into shooting local ads, model portfolios, and family portraits. I would shoot by day, process by night, and deliver prints the next day. It was a grind, but I was doing what I loved and paying the bills.

    Eventually I opened a commercial photography studio in San Francisco. I hustled my ass around Silicon Valley and landed some great projects with Apple Computer and many of the other big tech companies. While I enjoyed the flow of work in the Bay Area, I wanted to expand into fashion. It was around that time I attended Herb Ritt's first gallery showing. It was mind blowing. Madonna was there. Supermodels were there. It all seemed so shiny and amazing.  I took a huge leap of faith and relocated to Los Angeles. The creative energy of LA was exactly what I needed. I landed some really cool projects including an Adidas Originals campaign but the photography industry was evolving and the economy wasn't helping. It seemed like the universe was conspiring to push me into a job.

   Working "in-house" took some getting used to, but having a steady income and health insurance was nice.  I played the corporate game for almost ten years, moving from city to city while working for some of the most famous companies on the planet. Eventually it all came crashing down with the Pandemic. Like many, I used the time to reconsider my life. I came to terms with the fact that corporate life was not a great fit for me. I found corporate life to be soul crushing-my wings clipped and my creative spirit caged. Still, I learned a lot about marketing, Ecommerce, and business that I wouldn't have likely picked up as freelancer. With my balls back in place, I rebooted my freelance business. It was my best decision ever. I rediscovered my child-like curiosity and embraced a healthy, balanced lifestyle in Miami. 

    Today I am traveling nearly constantly and am shooting for brands I believe in, I am also writing a memoir that chronicles some of my adventures and learnings as well as selling fine art prints. Life is good!

If you are curious, check me out on LinkedIn