Announcing “Checking Focus”
I’ve started an accountability group for portrait photographers!
I’ll Be Your Mirror
Taking cues from my work, Rick Wenner was going playful and funny — that got me pretty scared.
Nerve - Media Analysis 1985
I analyzed an entire issue of the Nerve music monthly for a college paper. This is the full transcript.
Bangers & Smash
This portrait demo with Nick Smash took on greater meaning, as I looked to redeem myself for an earlier fumbled session.
On Andrew Leigh Green
I always found him playful and charming, despite the grief he seemed to bring to those he was closest to.
Celebrating Kathy Ryan
What stood out was her optimism about the work that we do. (Kathy Ryan’s retires from The New York Times Magazine.)
Chicken Negotiation
This is what happens when your reasonable plan falls through and the high-risk backup is a welcome Plan B. (Or, how to find a live chicken in the suburbs.)
RockCritics.com Interview
A double interview with Rick McGinnis and myself about our early music portraits, on rockcritics.com
Intern Testimonials 2023
Working with engaged and curious interns is one of the joys of my job. Here are some recent testimonials.
Dave Heath Interview (1996)
Dave Heath was a great photographer and perhaps an even better teacher. I interviewed him at the ten year mark of our acquaintance.
Capturing Connie Wang
When Connie asked me to make her author portrait I was thrilled, but also nervous - could I capture her ineffable quality?
On Phil McAbee
He was one of the few people I didn’t feel I needed to impress or prove myself to. With him now gone, there is a defined void in the world.
Michelle Watt Interview, Part 2
Part 2 of my Q&A with the uniquely talented Michelle Watt.
Michelle Watt Interview, Part 1
Her pictures are strange, elegant, and awkward, so of course I love them.
On Rebecca Godfrey
I remember her as a wry and game co-conspirator.
Cold Call Portraits
"Would Chris Buck make my portrait?" Two men stepped forward, asked this question, and here are the results.
Bringing Dick Johnson To Life
She said, “When I think of this movie, I see Dick’s face: full of humor, empathy and life. If the cover can convey that, then it will be a success.”
Seth Rogen & “Nice Hands”
The New York Times Magazine realized that what they needed was his distilled joyfulness. But how do you put the Seth Rogen giggle in a photograph?
Blog 10th Anniversary
This week marks the 10th Anniversary of this blog, let’s revisit its origins.
Threading The Neeleman
I had flown to Brazil for this unique shoot. After multiple conversations we were able to wrangle this prestigious location, and now it was slipping through our fingers…