Who are you?
I am a photographer located in Long Beach, California. I teach photography at California State University Dominguez Hills and have been photographing for about 10 years. Mostly I shoot digital, but still like to dabble with analog cameras. Generally, I only shoot in color and edit my images to bring out detail and vibrance. My photographic work consists of portraits, theatre/dance, and documentary/editorial subject matter.
What are you inspired by?
I'm inspired by other photographers, music, contemporary/street art, documentaries, the world around me, and my dancer wife (which is why I got into to photographing dance).
What was the last movie you watched?
Idiocracy Its been out for a while, but I just finally watched it and it relates to things happening now...
What was the last book you read?
The Photograph... By Graham Clarke & Studio Anywhere... By Nick Fancher.
Do you have any role model?
I don't really see these people as role models, because I have never met them, but their work pushes me to be a better photographer. Glen E. Friedman is the first photographer I saw who's work made me want to be a photographer. Gregory Crewdson's work makes me want to experiment with lighting and mood. Vivian Maier's work gets me to really look at composition and framing. Pieter Hugo's work makes me want to find the most unique subjects I can to put in front of my lens.
What is your next creative project?
I am working on a photo documentary series about children race car drivers. The whole series will be shot with film using Holga cameras. After I get done with the entire series, I will experiment with household chemicals to manipulate the negatives and create uniquely surreal images.
What do you like about Portfoliobox?
I love the ability to design my site to look the way I want it and not be stuck in some pre-designed template. Portfoliobox gives me the freedom to be creative with my site and has made me proud of my online image gallery.
