I was fortunate enough to meet Steve Jobs twice.I also had the privilege of photographing his successor, Jean-Louis Gassée. The first time I met Steve was during a shoot for Macworld. A valued client at the time, for whom I created numerous images, including fourteen cover shots over the years. This particular assignment was to help introduce the iMac. The first bold, colorful, and    “hip” personal computer. I had been warned that Steve’s schedule was extremely tight and that […]

She was begging me. So I gave in. I was lucky enough to meet Robin Williams more than once in the studio. He was just as warm, funny, and down-to-earth as you’d hope. His passing hit me hard. Not because we were close friends, but because this world is a lesser place without him in it. I have three stories to share that involve Robin. Two center around other people’s reactions to fame. The third is a great lesson about […]

It was about ten o’clock on a Saturday morning in late 1999. I was still a young man, and I stood on a sidewalk in the SOMA area of San Francisco, watching a bulldozer and a crane tear apart a building I had recently bought.    The cracking of old timbers and the thunderous collapse of the roof brought one thought sharply into focus: What the hell am I doing? I was a photographer, not a developer, contractor, architect, demolition […]

“What do you think we are—animals?!” The inmate was screaming at me, veins bulging, eyes fierce. Around us, prisoners started swarming like bees to a hive. And the assistant warden who was supposed to keep me safe? Gone. Vanished as quickly as a magician’s rabbit.  In that moment, I thought: my first prison photo shoot might also be my last. But let me back up. Years ago, when I was still a student at Art Center, I was taking a […]

There used to be a school in San Francisco dedicated to teaching the flying trapeze. Back when I was healthy, I thought it would be a fun skill to learn. And, if I’m being completely honest, a fit and attractive model convinced me to give it a try.  So I did.  It is definitely not for the faint of heart. The school had a full-sized flying trapeze rig, complete with a massive safety net stretched below. The experienced performers soared […]

It was mid-April. The mornings were still brisk, but the afternoons could become surprisingly hot. Since my first studio had no air conditioning, I often worked late into the evening when the temperature finally dropped. Sometimes I even worked through the entire night. This was one of those times. I endured a marathon work session that stretched through the night, into the following morning, and well into the next warm afternoon. Two days with virtually no sleep. By then, I […]

In the early years of my career, and at several points along the way, I negotiated some remarkably rewarding trade arrangements with clients. One of the most memorable was with a renowned wine shop in Menlo Park: Belltramos. This respected establishment had been serving connoisseurs since 1882, founded by Italian immigrant Giovanni Beltramo. The team there possessed an extraordinary depth of knowledge. They catered to a discerning clientele and offered some of the finest wines in the world. At the […]

When I was but a young lad, I explored nearly every type of art that existed.  Water colors, oil paints, sculpting, poetry, music, performance.  You name it, I wanted to try it. So when I came upon the photography class that was offered in high school, I was eager to try my hand at that. The problem was that it was a very popular course and would fill up each year.  I had to devise a plan that would allow […]

Many years ago, I learned a lesson about photography that has stayed with me ever since.Sometimes the best place to capture a subject is the last place you would ever think to look. Back then, a photographer could actually make a respectable living selling stock images. Better yet, it was an excellent side hustle for someone already working professionally behind the camera. Even after long assignments, I still loved shooting simply for the joy of it. Today, anyone can download […]

This isn’t a story about photography, my career, or the recognizable people I’ve met. It’s a story about life, relationships, enduring friendships, and the quiet strength of family. I was fortunate in my childhood. I grew up in a neighborhood that felt less like a collection of houses and more like a true community. Families knew one another. They trusted one another. They shared values with strong foundations upon which lasting bonds could be built. It was a time when […]