I was born and raised in Allen Park, Michigan where my grandparents had resided since the 1950s.. After high school, I attended Albion College, where I studied History and Psychology while playing quarterback as a three-year starter for the football program. My childhood was dominated by ice-hockey, baseball, basketball and football.
After college, I began my career as an educator and coach, teaching and mentoring students both in the classroom and on the athletic field. In 1992, I relocated to New York City and began my art studies of film and photography. Shortly after moving to Manhattan, I was offered an opportunity to work as a fashion model in Milan, Italy for one year. While I wasn’t interested in the modeling industry, I fell in love with photography.
My dabbled in the dark room in the mid-1990’s becoming a modestly skilled printer. In 2001, I began taking dark room classes at Santa Monica College for multiple semesters, which led me to become a fine arts dark room junkie. My visual work is heavily influenced by masters such as Irving Penn, Ansel Adams, Edward S. Curtis, and Robert Frank (The Americans).
Over the years, I have had the distinct opportunity to photograph many celebrated artists and cultural figures, including acclaimed actors such as Ed O’Neill (Married... with Children, Modern Family), Andre Royo (The Wire), and Eion Bailey (Band of Brothers), among others. My work has been published on the cover of Variety Magazine in 2001 with a black/white image of Eion Bailey, who was named a top 10 new actor that year. My film work of children has been featured in numerous editorial and fine-art magazines.
In addition to my commercial and fine-art exhibitions, I hold a California State CTE Teaching Credential in Arts, Media, and Entertainment. Through this, I serve as an industry consultant and educational mentor, bridging the gap between elite visual production and the next generation of artists.
