The behind the scenes stuff you share (for FREE even) is fascinating. Do you do it because other people’s BTS has helped you in the past?
Absolutely. I find BTS fascinating and I appreciate all artists that are willing to share thier knowledge. I am all self taught, so aside from just shooting every day when starting out, I relied on the internet to fill in the gaps. I still love to see BTS, especially on lighting. There are 100 ways to achieve the same result, so seeing other approaches is fun.
You have a few projects (Book of Beards, holiday cards) that have stuck with me over the years. I think some of those photos will iconically live in my head until I die. When you “finish” an image do you know if you’ve got something sticky? Or are you surprised by what’s really well received?
For the most part if I get really excited about a photo or project, it GENERALLY translates to what gets traction online (at least with my audience). I’ve built up my online presence over a very long period of time so I feel like the people who are still sticking around enjoy what I enjoy. There are however random images that seem to get lots of reactions that I would not expect. For instance… this photo gets referenced A LOT when people start talking about my work. I mean I love the image but I mainly kept it in my book because its of my close friends. I took it quickly while they were visiting from out of town.
It’s clear by how many people you credit in a post that there’s a decent amount of teamwork involved in bringing a shoot to life. What’s a role during production or post that’s indispensable but rarely talked about/glamorized?
Having a strong producer makes an enormous difference. Pulling together all the moving pieces for a shoot is a massive undertaking, and someone who excels at that role is truly invaluable. Looking back, I wish I had collaborated with freelance producers more when I was first starting out. I used to handle everything myself, and in hindsight, some of my ideas would have benefited greatly from the perspective and support of a great producer.
You’ve traveled to some pretty amazing looking places for work. What’s a location that you want a client to send you to next?
I visited once (see next answer), but never for work. I’d love to shoot in New Zealand… it’s such a beautiful place. After my wife and I traveled there, I tried to land a few tourism jobs, but nothing ever panned out.
Also Tokyo 🙂
Have you ever been photographing a subject and thought “I want their job”?
Ultimately no. BUT while I was on vacation with my wife in New Zealand we stayed on an “off the grid” farmstead for a couple days and was able to meet the owners. I saw them farming one of the days at sunset and I asked if I could photograph them… I’d say that has come the closest to coveting another persons job.
Where he’s from
Born and raised, Cranston, RI
Passion
Current, re-emerged: Running
Drink Order
I only drink water and black coffee… so I’ll answer with an adult beverage. Manahatten. although those are few and far bewtween these days.
Comfort Content
I turn my brain off to Parks and Rec, Brookly 99 and The Office.
