It all started as a teenager.
I won an honorable mention in a national competition sponsored by Camera 35 magazine. That was the hook. I fell in love with the art and never looked back.
About the work.
I started out as a portrait photographer, then a few years later started doing a variety of work: from tabletop studies to architectural images for editors, art directors, and designers.
Taking photos of architecture captured my imagination, and the structure and technique of that seemed to inform all of my work, regardless of subject.
Inspiration.
I don't actively look for inspiration. For instance, when documenting the street I wait for an interaction to develop. It will call out to me, then I trip the shutter. A successful image is a result of awareness and serendipity.
I'll confess I don't have a rhythm so much as an energy level, which can be affected by weather and my overall mood.
That said, if I have a particular project in mind, like a series of still life studies, I take a lot of time to prepare the set, consider the lighting, and take some preliminary test shots. After I evaluate those I go further into the subject and, after warming up, experiment with less usual techniques and perspectives.
Combating creative block.
When I am stumped, I walk away. I do something totally unrelated to my work to clear the fog and any mental cobwebs. Sometimes it is as simple as a walk or lunch with my son. The block will dissipate, usually within a day.
Milestones.
Many years ago I was offered an assignment that I truly thought was over my head. I hemmed and hawed about taking it when an associate told me to do it.
It required having sets built in the studio, selecting models and stylizing, work I was not yet proficient with. I took on the project and it was well executed. I was happy and felt I could take on anything.
The next seminal experience was aerial. I had to photograph a stunt pilot from a chase plane with no doors on it. Yes, I was secured by a harness, but it was still quite a rush. That led to other aerial assignments, mostly shooting from a helicopter. That is my most memorable work from those five decades.