You were a musician, actor, and painter first. How did you discover photography?
Photography class was offered in my freshman year of high school, and I jumped at the opportunity, discovereing the power of organizing the space within a picture frame.
Is there one art form that you enjoy better than another?
No, I don’t place a greater value on one discipline over another. They all have one thing in common - placing together disparate elements to form a cohesive whole. Whether it’s combining different notes to make a memorable melody or adjusting text, photography, and line to create a powerful graphic design, the common thread is organization.
How is photography different from your other interests?
I like the immediacy of photography. Unlike making a painting, a musical score, or a ballet, which can take days, weeks, or months to create, a photograph happens in a captured moment that will never happen exactly the same way again. The goal is to become more aware of when that ‘moment’ is about to happen.
What are some of the motivations behind your work?
My society photography for Washington Life magazine is all about my love of people and parties. I couldn’t be happier there. I try to make people look their best and feel comfortable when they are being photographed.
Which photographers have influenced your work?
The greatest of them all was Man Ray. Henri Cartier-Bresson is a close second. Other favorites include Lois Greenfield, Howard Schatz, Cindy Sherman, Harry Callahan, Minor White, and Wolfgang Tillmans.
What are the tools you use for creativity?
By far, the most valuable tool I have at my disposal is the computer. My Mac Pro enables me to create large-scale orchestral compositions, multi-layered digital art, high-resolution graphic designs, digital videos, as well as providing storage of tens of thousands of images that can be accessed in an instant.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Everything I come in contact with has the potential to inspire me - poetry, books, movies, nature, performances, my children - if I’m open to it. I also like listening to my own music while driving late at night.
Do you foresee the demise of print publications?
Unfortunately, we are moving further away from the need to hold paper in our hands and moving toward the retrieval of information from the internet via a computer or handheld device. It’s inevitable that online media will one day be the primary outlet for the dissemination of music, news, photography, and film. Solutions to the copyright and piracy issues must be found.
What are you planning on doing next?
I will make new ballets for PHILADANCO, Brooklyn Ballet, and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Company in Denver, Colorado. I am currently composing a piece for large percussion ensemble and my 5th String Quartet. Two of my dance films will be screened later this year and I have a collection of new paintings and Fine art photography that I would like to exhibit in the coming years.