Getting eye to eye with the wilder denizens of the world has always been a passion of mine. Whether it's the tiniest little moth or a massive, roaring elephant seal, I've found making a connection between animal and man to be one of the most exciting and rewarding photographic endeavors.
Every portrait I've ever taken-whether it be in the studio, on the street, or in the jungles of the south Pacific-began with a connection between subject and photographer. It's been one of the great pleasures of my career to have met so many interesting people and have been given the gift of capturing their image.
Working with Flying Magazine for almost a decade has allowed me access to some pretty extraordinary planes and pilots. I've ridden in biplanes and bombers, jets and fighters both right-side-up and upside-down. It's an exciting genre to work in, and though I haven't sought out a license yet, I never refuse a ride.
Over the years I've been a pretty lucky traveler. Thanks to assignments from magazines and gigs with clients I've been able to visit almost 60 different countries and see them all through a lens. I'm still chalking up the miles, but this gallery is a good representation of some of the places I've been fortunate enough to see so far.
Over the course of my career I’ve hung out of all manner of helicopters and airplanes. For the last four years, though, I’ve been flying a drone for fun, and the images I’ve been capturing have made this platform my favorite for aerial imagery.
Since I first learned the zone system on a wooden field 8x10 camera, I've been obsessed with black and white photography. I like it dark and moody, with crumbling textures and encroaching skies. For me, it's hardly worth the time unless the chiaroscuro is so dramatic you need a hug after staring at it.
It's amazing how defined we are by the spaces we occupy, and I love trying to capture the spirit of those buildings and the negative space surrounding them. I've been as fortunate to shoot with big hospitality brands like Ritz-Carlton, St Regis, Sheraton and Westin, as well as with local architects and interior designers on projects both great and small.
My favorite thing about working in the studio is the problem solving that comes with lighting peculiar objects. Working with metal has always been a special interest of mine, but it's all the same amount of fun whether I'm shaping light around a wine bottle, a dive knife or a creepy ass clown.
It sucks to get up before sunrise, but when it involves shooting in some of the most peaceful, spectacularly manicured spaces in the world, it's worth it. Landscape architects have always amazed me with their ability to tame a wild space into a living sanctuary, and capturing that vision with my camera is just awesome.
