NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY MONTH
CELEBRATING TWENTY PHOTOGRAPHERS
COMPILATION WITH INTERVIEWS BY BOBBY MILLER —
ALAN MERCER
ANDREAS ENGEL
DAISY NOYES
DARREN ANTHONY
GREG GORMAN
GUN ROZE
JAMES SMITH
JOE OPPEDISANO
JOHN LECLAIR
KRYS FOX
MICHAEL ANTHONY ALAGO
TONY PINTO
MICHAEL JAMES O’BRIEN
PATRICK MCMULLAN
RIC IDE
THOMAS EVANS
STEFFEN KAPLAN
POPS PETERSON &
BOBBY MILLER
BOBBY MILLER
“Being a photographer and a lover of photography, it seemed like a great idea to celebrate National Photography Month by featuring some of the photographers that I enjoy. From hard working accomplished photographers, whose work has been shown and published around the world, to young photographers just beginning to make their mark with new fresh perspectives, these are just a small group of the many photographers that inspire and entertain me. I encourage you to investigate the work of this particular group that we are featuring this month.”
Jerry Hall
Chris Walken
“Spooky”
COVER: Large image: Dietmar Busse Left to right bottom images: Perfidia, Thirsty Burlington as MJ, Meg Ly, Gandon & Deisal &All photos Bobby Miller
Alan Mercer
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
Alan Mercer: I became a photographer because I was always interested in portraits, first with pencil, pen and paint and then with a camera. I started taking photos for a living in 1992
What do you like to photograph most?
I only really enjoy photographing people. I do shoot other things occasionally, but it’s not a deep calling, like capturing people is.
What kind of camera do you use?
I have only ever used Nikon cameras. I find them to be my favorite. Any Nikon digital camera will be good.
Who were you biggest influences?
My biggest influences are Richard Avedon, Scavullo, Andy Warhol, George Hurrell, Herb Ritts and Greg Gorman.
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about?
I have developed a style. If you do something long enough, you will ultimately develop a personal style. It just happens. I strive for beauty and glamour as much as possible and as much as would be relevant for the image. I want the subject to look as good as possible, but still retain their unique self.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
There are literally dozens of people I would LOVE to photograph today. Most of them are artists and entertainers.
What excites you most about photography?
I’m not sure what excites me the most. I guess, just being able to create an extraordinary look or an image for someone who feels ordinary.
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
I would only want to change my work in a way that would make it better.
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images?
I only shoot digital now. I was one of the first to jump on the digital bandwagon back in 2001. I have been in darkrooms, but I never enjoyed it. I do love working with digital images very much.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
A snapshot can be made with a phone and does not have to be thought out. You can point and shoot and it’s over. A photograph often has some thought put into it. It requires a real camera and good lenses. A photograph can have some power that goes beyond the image.
—Interview by Bobby Miller
ALAN MERCER
Alan Mercer has been involved with portraits for over 35 years. Starting out as a painter and sketch artist, endorsed by Andy Warhol, he decided to concentrate on celebrity photography in 1997, and launched his website in the hopes that he would be discovered, and it worked.
“I only really enjoy photographing people. I do shoot other things occasionally, but it’s not a deep calling, like capturing people is.”
Shilah
Phillips
“I’m
not sure what excites me the most. I guess, just being able to create an extraordinary look or an image for someone who feels ordinary.”
Beni 88
ANDREAS ENGEL
Since the 1990’s, Andreas Engel has worked as an artist and creative director in numerous environments with a professional background in fine art serigraphy. http://aengelart.com/
“I typically focus on photographing nature—landscapes, insects, organic textures, and intriguing details—things that evoke a sense of wonder and encourages a second look.”
Benedict Pond
Housatonic
Andreas Engel
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
ANDREAS ENGEL: During my early childhood, my family moved around a lot between Central America and Canada. My dad was an avid photographer and often had a darkroom wherever where we lived. I would spend time developing film and making prints with him in the darkroom, and the magic of the process ignited my passion for photography. When I was 12, I saved up $100 to buy my first camera from my dad: a medium-format Yashica Mat-124G twin-lens reflex camera— essentially, a box camera that you look down into. I still have it. Film for the camera was expensive, and each roll had very few available shots, so I had to be selective about the photographs I took. Additionally, if I sent the film to a lab for developing prints or slides, I often had to wait for a long time to see the results. It’s not like today, where I can shoot an unlimited number of photos and adjust for each in real-time. I took photos in various formats and different cameras over the years, but it wasn’t until my late twenties that I rediscovered my joy for photography. My girlfriend (and later wife) belonged to a photography club in NYC. We shared an art studio, and I built a darkroom for her. I learned a lot from her artistic and technical skills and enjoyed watching her work in the darkroom. My casual interest in photography evolved into a genuine passion, and I’ve continued to pursue it ever since.
What do you like to photograph most?
I typically focus on photographing nature—landscapes, insects, organic textures, and intriguing details—things that evoke a sense of wonder. I strive to discover elements that people often overlook and present them in a way that encourages a second look. But I also enjoy capturing man-made structures, locations, buildings, and objects that document a specific time and place, which might otherwise fade into obscurity over time.
What kind of camera do you use?
My primary camera is a Canon 5Ds, but I've discovered that my iPhone can also capture some amazing photographs. I've learned to push it beyond just a simple point-and-shoot camera. Although technology continues to advance, I believe it is still the photographer’s eye and the way tools are used that truly make a photograph stand out.
Who were you biggest influences?
I’ve mentioned my dad, who has always viewed the world through an artistic eye, and he introduced me to photography books by Ansel Adams and Edward Curtis. One of my brothers is also an avid photographer with high technical skills and amazing equipment, so I’ve learned a lot from him. I also think of my late wife, who loved to photograph people during her travels around the world. In the late 1990s, she took me to a photography exhibit in NYC featuring Sally Mann. Although Mann is primarily known for her portraits, this exhibition showcased large, atmospheric landscapes that felt magical and transportive. I was truly captivated by that show
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about?
It’s difficult to identify a specific style that makes my photographs instantly recognizable as my work. But there is an underlying approach that abstractly connects them. Whether they are open landscapes or closely cropped details, I view them as revealing secrets—like capturing the proverbial unicorn or fairy, but in a way that feels tangible and familiar. My “style” is more about that than a specific technique or finished treatment. I imagine that approach largely stems from my unusual upbringing, traveling on back roads in exotic places, where my imagination ran wild.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
There’s not anything that immediately comes to mind. When I head out with my camera I never expect anything and simply open myself to whatever presents itself. Traveling to places I have never been before wouldn’t hurt.
What excites you most about photography?
The most important aspect for me is that regularly taking photographs trains me to see the world more vividly. To capture good photos, I need to consider various factors, such as light, contrast, shadows, composition, mood, and the ability to recognize fleeting moments. Practicing these elements through the lens of a camera enhances my overall sense of observation. This excites me because I become aware of many details I might otherwise overlook. What’s more, viewing others’ photography expands my senses even further, because they are essentially doing the same thing.
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
I don't audit my work in that manner. My approach is more instinctual; it is what it is, for better or worse.
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images?
I got rid of all my darkroom equipment about ten years ago, and it made me sad to let it go. I miss it. Nowadays, everything I do is digital, but I find that many darkroom principles still apply to digital photography, so not all is lost.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
I would say snapshots are photographs. And some can be quite good! Sometimes, there isn’t time to pick the best camera or lens, compose a shot, prep a model or subject, work on settings, adjust lights, change the angle, work through expressions... and firing off a quick, instinctual shot is the ticket. Even with those, an experienced photographer—or anyone, really— can get a terrific shot.
—Interview by Bobby Miller
Daisy Noyes
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
DAISY NOYES: I started making photos when I was a teenager, so, 30 years ago. My parents were both photographers and had darkrooms in a studio across the street from our house. I started on a 4x5 view camera, and learned how to develop sheet film with my mother. I like to photograph constructed scenes, utilizing all the elements of theater: body, scene, lights, costume, action, gesture.
What do you like to photograph most?
In 2020 and 2021 I started photographing constructed scenes in which a figure, usually me, was doing some kind of action. I love images where a person is engaged in an enigmatic action or gesture. These days I’m also photographing my three-generation family around our home in Great Barrington. I’m trying to incorporate them into this style of setting up scenes, as opposed to documenting our daily lives.
What kind of camera do you use?
I’ve only ever had three cameras: an 8x10 view camera, a medium format Pentax 67ii and a Canon DSLR. I mostly use the DSLR to make images that include myself as the subject. I set it up on a tripod and use a 10-second timer.
Who were you biggest influences?
I grew up with Sally Mann’s Immediate Family on the coffee table, and I think those images went into deep into my psyche and lodged there. More recently I’ve been inspired by Eileen Quinlan’s work, which is more abstracted but still made with a large format camera, and Tim Walker’s work for Vogue
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about?
In terms of what I’m shooting, it’s hard for me to say if I have a style that reaches across all the different things I photograph, but I love images that are holding both the light and the dark of some human experience. I like when something is recognizable and something is ambiguous or surreal. I like when an element of theatricality undercuts the notion that photography is depicting truth.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
Yes, I would like to do an intimate series of my parents as they are getting older, but I keep not asking them.
What excites you most about photography?
Just seeing what something will look like as a photograph. I think it was Winogrand who said that. It’s a weird thing to do, to take one moment and slice it out of time, and get it on paper and try to hang onto it. There’s something extractive and futile about it, but I’m still compelled to keep doing it. There’s a kind of magic to the capture of light and time.
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
I’d like to get better at trying out more of the ideas I have. I feel like right now I only actually shoot like 10% of my ideas, and the easiest ones at that, like the ones where I don’t have to build anything, or ask a lot of people for help. I would like to be more ambitious and at least attempt more ideas that come to me, even if they don’t work.
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images?
I do both. I develop negatives in my bathroom in a Patterson tank and then scan and print them digitally. I have a large format inkjet printer in my studio and I print both the scanned film and digital images on it. Right now I’m excited about printing on clear polypropylene and layering the translucent images.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
I think of the snapshot as a type of photograph, or a style, where the photo was done quickly in the moment. I think of Nan Golden making some of the most powerful photos in history with a snapshot style.
—Interview by Bobby
Miller
DAISY NOYES
Daisy Noyes is a photographer based between Melbourne Australia, and Great Barrington, Massachusetts. She uses both digital and large format film cameras, and works in the space between photography and performance. Sometimes her images are records of fleeting actions or interventions in the environment; other times they are records of interrupting the print itself. Her current practice explores living in a body, trying to look at time, and layering of all types. She is also into working in collaboration or at cross-purposes with her kids. Daisy studied photography at Sarah Lawrence College in New York and performance at The University of New South Wales in Sydney. She is currently an MFA candidate at Bard’s Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts.
“I started making photos when I was a teenager 30 years ago. My parents were both photographers and had darkrooms in a studio across the street from our house. I started on a 4x5 view camera, and learned how to develop sheet film with my mother. I like to photograph constructed scenes, utilizing all the elements of theater: body, scene, lights, costume, action, gesture.”
“I love images where a person is engaged in an enigmatic action or gesture.”
Shoreham Beach
Burning Bush
DARREN ANTHONY
Darren Anthony is New York based photographer who resides in Brooklyn with his husband Marc Pitzke. His work has been featured in books, magazines, on album covers and has also been commissioned.
“I have a series of photographs that I call Walkabouts. They’re snapshots of everyday life. They usually feature a single person going about their day. Color, light and shadow best describe my style of work. As I said before I’m West Indian, color plays a big part in my culture. The contrast of light and shadow always pull me in.”
Take Out
Darren Anthony
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
DARREN ANTHONY: From a very young age I was always drawing, making puppets or taking pictures, but it wasn’t encouraged by my parents. I’m West Indian, and anything creative took a back seat to a “proper” education. They wanted me to be a lawyer, like many in my family, or do something in corporate. However, that wasn’t my calling, and for many years I struggled to find myself. It wasn’t until years later that my Aunt Ellie suggested that I lean back into my creative background. It was then that I decided to become a photographer.
What do you like to photograph most?
I have a series of photographs that I call Walkabouts. They’re snapshots of everyday life. They usually feature a single person going about their day.
What kind of camera do you use?
I use Nikon mirrorless and DSLR cameras primarily for work and my iPhone 14 Pro Max for everyday use.
Who were you biggest influences?
Gordon Parks, Diane Arbus and the painter Edward Hopper are huge influences. Parks and Arbus for seeing the soul of a person. Hopper for his use of color, light and shadow. Many people have compared my pictures to Hopper paintings.
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about?
Color, light and shadow best describe my style of work. As I said before I’m West Indian, color plays a big part in my culture. The contrast of light and shadow always pulls me in.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
My maternal great-grand father was from Cuba, so I would love to travel there and photograph the people, old buildings and cars.
What excites you most about photography?
EVERYTHING! I love the whole process. Taking the shot and then editing the picture.
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
I would love to start working with film. To me film is the Mount Everest of photography.
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images? I shoot and edit digital images.
—Interview by Bobby Miller
Greg Gorman
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
GREG GORMAN: I went to a Jimi Hendrix concert in 1968 and borrowed a buddy of mine's camera having no knowledge of photography whatsoever and I said what should I do? He said I should try X film 60 of the second F5 six you're most likely get an image and that's what I did a 50 mm lens but I was liking the third row so it was pretty close to see Jimmy the following morning. I went over to his house in his basement and then we process the film and I guess when I saw the magic of this image of pure mysteriously on this white piece of paper I thought this is the I have ever seen in my life so then I enrolled in photography school at the university of Kansas. I grew up in Kansas City. And they only had German classes which is like ambulance chase pretty far from what I ended up doing, but that drove my passion for photography and that's how I got started
What do you like to photograph most?
I love doing my nudes, but I really started doing portraits and that's pretty much what I'm doing today as I love photographing interesting people but people that I find intellectually stimulating or admire but I really don't shoot anything that can't talk back to me with the exception of my last book which I shot during the Connor project. African tribal art and how it influences European and American culture that was the last book, but that was the first time I ever shot anything that couldn't talk back to me.
What kind of cameras do you use?
Well for many years I worked with Cannon, but for the last few years, I've been working with the GFX 100 and with a Sony 705 so for 35 mm I'm shooting Sony. For the bigger camera, I'm shooting Fuji. For the smaller when I travel and when I teach. I shoot with a split frame, Fuji XH2 which I really love. The body is about the size of a 35 mm camera, but the lenses are quite smaller and so they're much lighter weight which is, at an old age, easier to schlep around and the results are right from that camera.
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about?
When I first started shooting like most photographers, you know everyone's in search of their style or their voice, and you know I lit everything over the camera. I couldn't afford strobes when I started out so I was shooting with 1K quartz lights in 2K soft boxes, which is what I learned to light with in film school and so all my pictures kind of look like an interchange of a postage stamp so there wasn't a real direction. It wasn't really until I used weights with the help of my assistant, David Jacobson, who was my first assistant, who showed me the relevance of taking the light off the center focal point of the camera and creating a more dynamic range between my highlights of my shadows that I started realizing that it wasn't what you said in the highlights, but what you didn't say in the shadows, it made a difference and that's really kind of it. I built my style. As you know is kind of strong highlights and hard shadows.
Who were your biggest influences?
Well it’s strange because my work isn't really that similar to his, and we became friends later in life, but I always loved Helmut Newton's work. In terms of classic portraits, obviously photographers like Richard Avedon and Irving Penn. I was a big fan of Gian Paolo Barbieri. And Hiro. I loved his work.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven't yet?
Well, the one person I wanted to shoot is kind of interesting, Bridget Bardot. I always had a hard on for her when I was a little kid growing up and I’d sneak into the movie theaters to see her films and I think she's fabulous even today although I think she's very anti-gay and you know kind of strange, though we did bond on the animal rights situation. You know she loves to save animals and take care of animals, but I think she's amazing because she's not had any work done and you know she looks like an old lady now, but I still think she's awesome for you know not having gone down the resurrection boulevard to do all the surgery. I always wanted to shoot Garbo and I met Garbo but we never got it together to do a photo shoot. But those are two people that I always really wanted to photograph
What excites you most about photography?
I think the biggest drive for me with photography is the moment that you communicate with that person that's in front of your lens. It's always been a big factor in my photography and you know me pretty well from so many years. It's always about how much I love people. I'm such a people person. The luxury of getting the opportunity to get up in person with people that I don't know and form a relationship through the lens, it becomes a major communicator.
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
That's a good question. I think with the onset of digital, I became a little too relaxed and I think I'm now starting to take the turn to getting around the corner of getting back to my more classic edge photography. I think with digital my work softened up a bit and I don't think that was necessarily a good thing. In many ways I mean because it's been a while since I pretty much got out of the hole. The commercial venue of photography, you know, quite a while ago in terms of all the movie stuff, and I don't really do any of that. I do more personal work now and so I have the leisure of being able to shoot how and what I want most the time.
Do you shoot film and work in the dark room or do you shoot and process digital images?
No, sadly, I mostly shoot digital. I held onto the film cameras which I really love. I held onto my contacts G2 and T2 G2. I did that kind of rowdy book on my boyfriend at the time, little Greg, called “Just Between Us” and that was the last book that I did all on film. But the interesting thing is going back and you know reworking my 15 minutes of fame which the majority of it is film and the one thing that film offers that digital could never offer is film was never that precise and there was a beauty to that element of film over digital. Today you know I'm not a fan at all of AI. I think it's really bullshit and I think it's hurt a lot of photographers and you know it's been a safe go-to for so many photographers that basically steal from all of all the classic photographers work and just put it in their work, and then they can claim it as their own.
What's the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
You know, I don't think there's any difference between a snapshot and a photograph. A snapshot is a photograph. It's just the interpretation of how you want look at it. It's the same. I would compare that to the book we were just talking about “Just Between Us”. A lot of people would say that's pornography but the people that say it is pornography are going be the first ones behind closed doors looking at it, so you know I think it's just a matter of description. A snapshot is certainly a valid photograph. I wouldn't say it's not what you want. What's your take on it?
Bobby:
When I wrote that question, my thought was the same as yours. That a snapshot and a photograph are the same thing. It's all about the process and what happens after you take a photograph. If it's a snapshot and you look at it and you never touch it, you don't manipulate it in anyway, it somehow lives in that little world of its own. But with a photograph you can, especially now because of Photoshop and all that stuff, you can turn an image into almost anything other than what it was when you clicked the shutter.
Greg:
By the same token, Bobby, the whole argument about photojournalism is that you know they are not really allowed to alter their pictures. If they're publishing a true life photograph and so those pictures could be considered snapshots as well. It's really, I think, the difference is really down to interpretation.
—Interview by Bobby
Miller
GREG GORMAN
Gorman attended the University of Kansas with a major in photo journalism and completed his studies at the University of Southern California, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Cinematography. Gorman has been acknowledged for his contribution to the world of photography, from the prestigious Lucie Awards for Portraiture, the Professional Photographers of America where he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Portraiture. He has also been critically recognized for his charitable works by such organizations as The Elton John Aids Foundation, The Oscar de La Hoya Foundation and Paws LA to name but a few. Besides traveling the world for specialized photographic projects, Gorman continues to work on compilations of his imagery and exhibits his work in galleries and museums around the globe.
gormanphotography.com
“I love doing nudes, but I really started by doing portraits and that's pretty much what I'm doing today as I love photographing interesting people but people that I find intellectually stimulating or admire but I really don't shoot anything that can't talk back to me.”
“When I first started shooting like most photographers, you know everyone's in search of their style or their voice, and you know I lit everything over the camera. I couldn't afford strobes when I started out so I was shooting with 1K quartz lights in 2K soft boxes.”
Grace Jones
David Hockney
GUN ROZE
Gun Roze is a Toronto-born fine art photographer, whose essential photographic knowledge was gained throughout his thirty-five year career as a Master Analog Printer for professional photographers and artists. His expertise brought him work opportunities in Vancouver, San Francisco and New York City. He has received two artist grants and has had eleven solo exhibitions in Toronto during the past nine years. Gun’s daily practice is his street-based photography. He also works on personal projects with various themes and has a great passion for his portraiture sessions. Gun regards the photo shoots with his extraordinary subjects as creative collaborations.
“Photography was magical from my first introduction to it. When all the components come together in one image, such as: content, lighting, composition and a feeling captured- I am excited. It’s achieving these outstanding photos that keeps my passion for photography alive. I also get excited when I have the opportunity to photograph a person who fascinates me. I feel like a child opening a big mysterious gift when I’m about to view the results of a shoot for the first time.”
“I photograph anything or anyone that attracts my attention. I no longer question the subject matter I choose. Often, I feel it chooses me. Though photographing honest portraits remains my greatest challenge and pleasure.”
Dundas St. W Alley,Toronto
Dundas St. W Alley,Toronto
Gun Roze
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
GUN ROZE: My grandfather was a photographer as a young man. Looking at the photo albums of his work introduced my imagination to the power, beauty and magic of photography. He sensed my fascination and gifted me his Kodak Brownie when I was 8. My passion was ignited as I freely photographed my family, friends and pets. That was almost 6 decades ago.
What do you like to photograph most?
I photograph anything or anyone that attracts my attention. I no longer question the subject matter I choose. Often, I feel it chooses me. Though photographing honest portraits remains my greatest challenge and pleasure.
What kind of camera do you use?
Since digital took over analog photography around 2012, I have relied on a point-and-shoot camera. Its compact size allows for easy access to it at any time. It’s the ideal camera for my daily street-based captures.
Who were you biggest influences?
Diane Arbus was the first photographer who impressed me greatly as a teen. Discovering George Platt Lynes subtle homoerotic work opened my mind to this genre. In my early 20s, my photography mentor Jerry Riley influenced me the most by encouraging me to just keep on shooting whatever I was drawn to. Working with him on his conceptual photo project was a creative and technical breakthrough for me. Later on Helmut Newton’s bold and playful photography captivated me. I also strongly connected with the commercial work of Herb Ritts and Bruce Weber. Though Gordon Parks is the photographer I still admire the most. I can feel his heart and soul in whatever his subject matter is.
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about?
It has taken me decades to truly connect with how I photograph. I have always approached each photo or series uniquely, so I don’t think I’ve developed a particular or noticeable style. The composition of my images is crucial to me. Viewers may recognize the consistency of this detail throughout my work. All of the information, including space, within the frame is important to me.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
Absolutely. I have a wish list of certain people whose portraits I’d love to photograph and other artists I’d be honored to collaborate with.
What excites you most about photography?
Photography was magical from my first introduction to it. When all the components come together in one image, such as: content, lighting, composition and a feeling captured- I am excited. It’s achieving these outstanding photos that keeps my passion for photography alive. I also get excited when I have the opportunity to photograph a person who fascinates me. I feel like a child opening a big mysterious gift when I’m about to view the results of a shoot for the first time.
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
I prefer to be open and, in the moment, when I approach my work, which allows my shoots, editing and post production to be fresh. I feel this gives me the opportunity to keep growing and evolving. I also discover something new when an image or photo shoot isn’t satisfying. This is usually due to details I overlooked. I always hope I’ll be more aware of what not to repeat.
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images?
I shot only film until 2012 and worked in professional photo lab darkrooms for over 35 years. By 2013 I felt I was being forced to switch to digital by the rapidly changing photo industry. I hesitantly bought my first digital camera and began to gradually embrace the digital method of creating images. Oddly enough I no longer think of film unless I want to scan negatives or prints from my archives.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
A snapshot is literally a quick click of the shutter to capture a moment. Taking a photo has a little, or a lot more, thought behind it. Though the result of either approach can be considered art.
—Interview by Bobby Miller
James Smith
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
JAMES SMITH: I became a photographer because I loved the process. I remember signing up in middle school to become a yearbook photographer reluctantly, but I fell in love with taking photographs and soon began developing my own work in the school’s darkroom after school. I've always been attracted to fashion since my earliest memories. What I discovered is that a photoshoot is like a sport, full of moving parts: model, hair and makeup, fashion, set design, lighting, and later, post-production. It’s an orchestra of art forms coming together to create a single, beautiful moment—a photograph that captures time and hopefully lives on long after I'm gone. I have been working professionally as a photographer since the early 2000s. Once digital cameras became available for studio use, I didn’t hesitate to transform my NYC apartment into a working studio and start testing.
What do you like to photograph most?
I prefer to shoot femme fatale imagery and avant-garde fashion because they require the most work, preparation, and fantasy, allowing me to utilize all my skills at once. In contrast, I also enjoy event shooting. Initially, I didn’t love it, but I grew to appreciate the candidness of it all.
What kind of camera do you use?
I’m sentimental about my gear. I use Canon because that’s the camera I started with in middle school. When film transitioned to digital, I used the Canon EOS 20D as my first studio camera, followed by the Canon EOS 7D, and now I use the Canon EOS R7.
Who were your biggest influences?
My biggest influences over the years include Francesco Scavullo, particularly his lighting setups, and Richard Avedon and Irving Penn for their great sets. Richard Bernstein inspired my post-production techniques, while Andy Warhol and Bobby Miller influenced my portraiture and subject matter. Patrick McMullen has also been a significant influence for event photography.
Have you developed a certain style to your work, and can you tell us how that came about?
Yes, I’ve developed a style based on what excited me as a kid. I adored fashion magazines and studied them closely. I loved watching variety shows in the '70s—everything sparkled, and the dresses illuminated. Later, I discovered they used a star filter, so I added that to my signature style. Additionally, clam shell lighting, used by Scavullo, inspired my portrait work. I modified that technique and love backlighting through cutouts in paper to save space, which creates a beautiful backburst using gels, depending on the desired look.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
I typically shoot with whoever decides to work with me, and that has been enough so far. However, down the road, I would love to shoot landscapes, flowers-nature.
What excites you most about photography?
It's always exhilarating when I pick up the real camera, but what I love most is that a photograph gives me the opportunity to tell a story Whether in one shot or a sequence.
What, if anything, would you like to change about your work?
I’d like to have higher ceilings for better overhead lighting angles and effects. I stick to a process, from shooting to post-editing, all done by hand. I would like to incorporate AI, but I find it doesn’t align with my aesthetic.
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom, or do you shoot and process digital images?
I learned about photography in the late '70s and started developing and editing my own film in middle school, thanks to a darkroom that gave me a better understanding of post-production in later years. Now, I shoot exclusively digital, and as an illustrator, I retouch everything by hand using a tablet and pen, avoiding AI.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
When I think of snapshots, I envision the old point-and-shoot instamatic cameras that you would send off to the drug store for development. Today, the iPhone serves a similar purpose. In contrast, a true photograph requires precision and is a building process based on the artist's vision long before the first shot is taken. Creating a photograph from scratch is an art form.
—Interview
by
Bobby Miller
JAMES SMITH
A fashion and lifestyle photographer in New York City, James is the go to Photographer/Artist in the transgender community since 2004. The Cincinatti, Ohio born Smith moved to New York City in 1983, working as a model, stylist and later window designer in Soho and Untitled. In 1992, Smith studied fashion and design at the University of Cincinnati. Returning to New York, and after working extensively in fashion and visual arts, Smith switched gears and began pursuing a career in photography in 2004. https://www.jamesmithimage.net/
“I’ve developed a style based on what excited me as a kid. I adored fashion magazines and studied them closely. I loved watching variety shows in the '70s—everything sparkled, and the dresses illuminated. Later, I discovered they used a star filter, so I added that to my signature style. Additionally, clam shell lighting, used by Scavullo, inspired my portrait work. I modified that technique and love backlighting through cutouts in paper to save space, which creates a beautiful backburst using gels, depending on the desired look”
Laverne Cox
Sunsmaller
JOE OPPEDISANO
Joe Oppedisano grew up in a large Italian family in the suburbs of Albany, NY. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree from F.I.T. and started his work career as a fashion editor for Fairchild Publications. From there he was a sought after fashion stylist working with Vogue, L'Uomo Vogue, and Ricky Martin. He switched careers at 30 when he decided to pick up a camera and start creating images himself, and soon after found himself shooting for clients such as Calvin Klein and Email Lagasse. After just one year of shooting he was approached by Bruno Gmuender to publish his first book. Testosterone was one of the biggest selling erotica photo books that year, and it was followed up by Uncensored and J/O. Joe now lives in upstate New York and is working on self publishing the next chapter in his book series.
“I love to shoot beauty. Any kind of beauty. I like flowers and exotic plants (which I love to shoot and then turn into textile designs), but what I love to shoot most is people.”
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Joe Oppedisano
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
JOE OPPEDISANO: became a photographer about 25 years ago. I was a men's fashion editor for Fairchild Publications in NYC, now, Fairchild Publications was best known for W and WWD, but I was in the men's division and I worked for DNR (the menswear version of WWD) and M Magazine, with the amazing Robert Bryan. He was a mentor and a boss. One of the greatest men of style I've ever met, and gracious with his time and expertise. He is an icon, and I had been his very first assistant, for the 15 years he was at Fairchild, he never had an assistant, and then there was me. I worked my way up there and was even doing freelance jobs with such clients as People Magazine, Vogue and Italian Vogue and Ricky Martin, who, at the time, was the biggest celebrity there was. I remembered thinking around that time that I sure was a lucky man...to be doing the kind of work that I was doing, so quickly from graduating F.I.T. for Textile Design and Fabric Styling. I loved what I was doing, but as the kind of kid that I was, which was, I always wanted more, I felt like something was missing. I couldn't quite place what it was, until Robert explained to me that HE thought it was me, all of a sudden having all this control, EXCEPT for actually taking the picture. And I knew he was right.
The next afternoon I bought a camera the next day without knowing anything except what I had learned in high school photography class, and taught myself how to shoot. It was maybe a year later, after I kinda knew the ropes and was shooting underground NYC Nightlife images of scantily dressed (or undressed men) that I got the most unexpected thing ever...an offer to publish a book. Now, remember, I was working in high fashion, and I definitely did NOT want to be labeled a "Gay" photographer, so my first inclination was to say no. But my agent convinced me to do it, as it was a pretty big deal, and so I presented to Bruno Gmuender my portfolio that I wanted to represent me and my work. Until they came back to me with a "NO!" we need 12 pages of nudes, front or back, we need nudes to sell this as an erotic book. SO i called 12 friends and asked them to drop trou and sent the film back to Bruno and they loved it. TESTOSTERONE was what i wanted to call it, and so it was, and the book signing at Rizzoli books on 57th Street in Manhattan was an insane mix of sculpted body boys, supermodels and press. They had to block off the street for an hour at one point and it even got written up in the New York Times.
It was one of the most magical days of my life.
What do you like to photograph most?
I love to shoot beauty. Any kind of beauty. I like flowers and exotic plants (which I love to shoot and then turn into textile designs), but what I love to shoot most is people. I love subtle glances or intense stares. I love to see anger in a face or happiness. I love to photograph situations where one person reveals to the other something outrageous, or scandalous, and watch and shoot how it plays out. It allows for things to happen that you cannot expect. It also in a way gives the viewer a storyline that they can then follow in their own minds, to see where it leads them. I like to have my photos tell a story, but every viewer holds a different fantasy in their heads about where this is going and what is happening. I like it because it leaves the viewer with more than just a pretty face or body, it leaves them with emotion.
What kind of camera do you use?
I told you I went out one day and bought a camera. It was the same camera a friend of mine used to shoot with, and it's still the same camera I still shoot with. Canon EOS 1 Ds. It's a medium format camera, so the film is bigger than a normal camera and I just love the weight of it in my hands, How it falls at my side in my arms when I'm shooting. It feels good, and it shoots great. It's now maybe outdated, but I love it just the same.
Who were you biggest influences?
I've always had fantasies running through my head. As a child I was rather chubby and not so cute...lol, I wore HUSKY"S Jeans which were the Sears and Roebuck brand my parents used to buy for me, but I always dreamed of wearing Levi's, and at the time, Izod. I always had a vision of myself that was much grander than reality. In my mind I was a huge star of stage and screen, and in my fantasies I was dating the very gorgeous and oh so not in my league Brooke Shields, and in my dream my grandfather, (who WAS an amazing man who invented a part of above ground pools) invented a fountain that was unlike anything ever seen! The dreams of a young gay boy in upstate New York. But my influences were always dramatic, always larger than life. Always flashy, always proud, always over the top. So when I started shooting, my influences were high end, and glam. I loved smart conversational editorials that I'd seen in W or Italian Vogue. I loved bizarre twists and classic cuts. I loved designers who told stories like Elsa Peretti, Schiaparelli, Chanel and Dior, but at the same time, while i was an editor at DNR street style was becoming chic, Grunge, the world was moving into a different place, and goddamnit I was going to be a part of it. Tom of Finland, Bob Mizer, Colt, Bruce Weber, these are all my heros. Clean, masculine, storytelling images of men. THAT's what I think I do, and that's where...
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about?
I like models to be semi-non--approachable. Almost arrogant, ready to kill you, of fuck you...what's it gonna be?
I always shoot from a low angle so the viewer is looking UP at the subject, so you are below...I use PAM cooking spray on their bodies because it creates a velvet-like sheen on the body that is unlike anything else. I like masculine men who know who they are and what they represent and who the hell are you to question?! It's all about the attitude, the smirk, the smile, or the rage in his eyes. It will seduce you, that's what i like.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
One person in the world I would love to shoot is the man who I was the first to shoot. Channing Tatum, who I was blessed by his then agent Jason Kanner to shoot the guy the very day he came to his agency. We did an incredible shoot, and it got him his first campaign, excuse me, it landed US a campaign for Swiss Army Watches. They wanted me to shoot him for it. After that we shot for a few long hot months, until he took off and moved to L.A. He was not only an amazing model, but a great guy. Orville Peck is another person I'd love to get in front of my lens. He's magic, he has created his own genre of homoeroticism and class.
What excites you most about photography?
The exciting thing about photography is the editing of the film...for me, that's where it all happens. When you get the film back and you see what you captured and find just the right frame, and you know you did a great job.
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
There's really nothing I can think of, I would change about my work
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images?
I taught myself to shoot on film. That was at just about the time digital was first getting started, and once I mastered that it got way too expensive to shoot with film, so I switched to digital. Digital is great because you can shoot more frames than you do with film, as it's so expensive, so in digital you get more options. You can play more with digital.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
The difference between a snapshot and a photograph...hmmm, well, a snapshot is a quick second that's not planned or thought out. It's a moment in time where the light is right and the subject is perfect, and it's quick, not thought out. My work is incredibly thought out, the lighting, the models, what they are wearing, how they're styled, it's all very complicated. A snapshot is just a great moment that anyone can do.
—Interview
by
Bobby Miller
John LeClair
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
JOHN LECLAIR: Excited by the process especially the several day wait for the images to be developed at my local camera store. Thank-you to my Dad who was always taking images of family events. Thank-you to Ara at NE Photo on Massachusetts Ave. in Arlington, MA for all the great advice. Started circa age 17 and still as intrigued as ever at age 74.
What do you like to photograph most?
Nature and Landscapes; the Great outdoors. During the last 18 months have been creating images of small insects, amphibians and tiny fungi using a process called focus bracketing. The exceptional fine detail that “potentially” can be achieved is mind altering.
What kind of camera do you use?
Medium Format Fujifilm GFX (larger sensor) for landscape and scenery almost always mounted on a tripod. Also OM system OM1 MKii for small insects. Substantially smaller, lighter. Partially an age and steadiness thing, as well as it has numerous extra computational functions built in!
Who were you biggest influences?
Early on it was Jacques Cousteau. Owned all his books and never missed any of his specials on TV. Today I am totally amazed at the work of really young photographers (as in under 35 years) who are showing their insect and small animal photography on Instagram. View www.cupoty.com “Close-Up Photographer of the Year” to view what all the little creatures in the world are up to.
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about?
No not really. As I look back it has always been about trying different genres. Early on I took images of children involved in sports, games, crafts etc at a local youth center. Kids loved to see projected slides of themselves and friends at events. It was exceptionally popular. Then I developed a love of underwater photography. Always had a fun time creating candid, close-up images of people at parades, carnivals and outdoor events. Product photography became a necessity due the small retail business I owned and the emergence of online selling. In the last 18 years it has definitely been the Great Outdoors.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
Yes. Larger animals at our great national parks like Yellowstone, Teton, Red Rock etc especially during the winter months and/or at times when the large crowds are not there.
What excites you most about photography?
Producing an image of which I am really proud and satisfied. And without any apologies, I love all the gear and accessories.
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
It is more about what I would like to change about my endurance and stamina. Though I have come to understand there is no easy solution to this predicament. Also, I wish to improve my very basic video skills so as to be better able to tell stories.
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images?
I have never developed film, though used film extensively early on. Thoroughly attached to digital. Never had any yearning for film once digital took hold. Use multiple software to process images including Photoshop, Topaz, Helicon and Aurora HD. Still have a long way to go to perfect my skills with the aforementioned.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
Not sure. However if an image causes wonderment, curiosity, awe, reflection, or laughter for the viewer then it has been well worth creating.
—Interview by Bobby Miller
JOHN LeCLAIR
John LeClair has been taking photographs since his late teens. In his 20’s he was an avid scuba diver and underwater photographer. His real passion is for exploring the outdoors especially early mornings and late afternoons always searching for that breathtaking landscape. Recently he was viewing online images of small insects which had incredibly detailed resolutions. This piqued a whole new interest in the world of insect macro photography.
“During the last 18 months I have been creating images of small insects, amphibians and tiny fungi using a process called focus bracketing. The exceptional fine detail achieved is mind altering.”
Brown Bag Wasp
Vermont
KRYS FOX
Krys Fox is an American photographer based out of New York City. His work is known for its raw, intense, dream-like, cinematic imagery and a very strong personal aesthetic that renders his work instantly recognizable, regardless of the subject matter. Fox's work has been exhibited in galleries across America and the UK for 25 years.
“People. Animals. Wild People.
I love photographing musicians, fellow queer folk, artists, and people who say they aren't photogenic. I love to show my subject's how beautiful they are in my eyes.”
40 Licks 2024
Minotaur Blues
Krys Fox
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
KRYS FOX: I kind of became a photographer by accident. Well, as a career, I mean. I think I've always been a photographer. I have been taking photographs since I was 6 or 7 years old. We moved around a lot and I used to journal my life as it changed a lot. I also used to love to create a fantasy world, to direct, it’s like playtime, and I'd shoot all my friends and siblings and create a fantastical world with a camera.
I’ve forgotten, but my mother reminded me when she heard about my first art show back in 1999, that I'd been in a summer school photography class when I was around 7. That's when and why I got my first Polaroid camera. For this course. She got all excited and ran upstairs to show me my report card where my teacher had said I was a natural and how I used forced perspective to make poles come out of other kids' heads and understood the math of photography.
I shot portraits or all the people in my life and of teens in the punk/rock scene of the 90s, landscapes and whatever I saw, but it was for me and my subject's. I never thought of it any other way. One subject I shot sexy pics of turned out to be an art dealer and a curator and after multiple requests, I finally gave in and showed him my portfolio and he got me a gallery showing. I was 19. And for the first time, I made money showing people my private passion. And honestly, I've been professionally shooting ever since. But it started out as a private thing that accidentally turned into a public one.
What do you like to photograph most?
People. Animals. Wild People.
I love photographing musicians, fellow queer folk, artists, and people who say they aren't photogenic. I love to show my subject's how beautiful they are in my eyes. I think I'm happiest photographing Live Music. It makes me feel the most alive.
What kind of camera do you use?
Right now I'm using a Canon after being a Nikon boy for decades. I am saving pennies for a fancy new baby, but I shoot with anything I get my hands on.
Who were you biggest influences?
I'm influenced by so many artists. Or inspired by them. I love Mark Seliger, Nan Goldin, Mick Rock, Bob Gruen, James Bidgood. I'm also very influenced by film and think my work has a very cinematic quality and I think that's the movie's fault. I'm obsessed with Alejandro Jodorowsky, David Lynch, Dario Argento, Gregg Araki, Tim Burton, Igmar Bergman and Brian DePalma. I think I learned a lot about composition and colors and perspective from devouring movies.
Day to day I'm so inspired by fellow artists and my puppy peer pack. We have so many incredible artists here in New York and I love the support system we have cheering each other on.
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about?
I have been told for my whole career I have a very distinctive style and look to my work. I'm very bad at looking at what I create and categorizing or analyzing it. It's maybe too close. I don't know how to create any other way. I've tried, and a Krys Fox photo looks like a Krys Fox photo whether it's a stylized portrait, a wedding photo or a squirrel in the park. As frustrating as it can be for me, I think it's probably a good thing.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
Oh yes. So many. I shoot portraits and I love people and how unique we all are. All the stories we contain. And there are so many subjects I'm dying to capture. I make a wish list of people to get in front of my lens every year. This year is a lot of musicians, like IDLES, Amyl and the Sniffers, Kim Deal and Courtney Love. I love shooting with artists that move and have intensity. It's exciting.
What excites you most about photography?
It's always different. It always changes. And I always get excited to share connection with new people.
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
Oh, I don't know. Sometimes I wish I was more like blank or more like so and so, that I was fancier, more glossy, more successful.. but then I don't. Not really. I am really happy with what I get to do and very proud of the work I've made and the moments I've captured. Any changes would change it all and I cherish what I have and what's in store.
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images?
I started out in the 90's shooting film and working in a darkroom. And man, sometimes I really miss it. But I've been shooting digitally for the past 15 or so years.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
Intention. But damn, sometimes the best photographs start out as a snapshot. They just accidentally become more than intended.
—Interview by Bobby Miller
Lynn Goldsmith
Why did you become a photographer and when?
LYNN GOLDSMITH: I did not become a photographer - I always made photographs as long as I can rememberprobably from when I was 6 or 7 years old. I am 76 - so do the math.
What do you like to photograph most?
There is nothing I like to photograph most - I make photographs because: 1- it connects me to a space. 2- it can connect me to a person. 3- it can connect me to time
What kind of camera do you use?
Mostly Nikons - but have various cameras
Who were you biggest influences?
As far as photography - my biggest influences were Guy Bourdin, Richard Avendon, Margaret Bourke White and Elizabeth Cameron.
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about? No - I have no desire to have a style that is recognizable.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet? Yes, and it’s ok if I never do.
What excites you most about photography?
Thinking about where I was at the time I made it.
What if anything would you like to change about your work? I don’t think of it as my work, so there is nothing to change
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images? I do it all digitally but keep film in my fridge - just in case i change my mind.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph? I have no control over if someone else sees it as a snapshot or as a photograph - If I were to say what is the difference for me — is if I feel took the image or if I made the image.
—Interview by Bobby Miller
LYNN GOLDSMITH
Over the past 50 years Lynn Goldsmith’s photography has appeared on and between the covers of Life, Newsweek, Time, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, National Geographic Traveler, People, Elle, Interview, The New Yorker, and more. lynngoldsmith.com
“If you want to maximize your potential for living a full life, you need to break limiting thought patterns, bust through fear, take risks, and persistently work hard to reach your goals.”
Lynn Goldsmith and Patti Smith
MICHAEL ANTHONY ALAGO
Michael Anthony Alago is best known for signing Metallica in the summer of 1984; changing the entire landscape of rock n' roll and heavy metal. In 2005, he left music to pursue his other love: photography. Instagram (@michaelanthonyalago)
“The style of my work is gritty and no-nonsense. Erotically charged and in your face. Never glossy.”
Gauge Chest
Jason S.
Photo by Isauro Cairo
Michael Anthony Alago
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
MICHAEL ANTHONY ALAGO: I have always been fascinated with pictures and family albums. After 25 years as a music executive and collecting male erotic photography I thought it was time for me to start taking pictures. I used plastic kodak cameras as a teenager to shoot snapshots of friends and live concerts. It became professional in 2005 when I released my independent book "rough gods" with the financial help of Gallagher Art and Paper collectibles.
What do you like to photograph most?
Men and flowers.
What kind of camera do you use?
Right now in 2025 I use the iPhone and various Polaroid cameras.
Who were your biggest influences?
George Dureau, Robert Mapplethorpe and Bruce Weber. I am also inspired by the work of Jack Pierson.
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about? The style of my work is gritty and no-nonsense. Erotically charged and in your face. Never glossy.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
I would love to shoot a portrait of Patti Smith. I wish I could have photographed Glenda Jackson.
What excites you most about photography?
I get excited when I feel there's a connection between me and the male subject I'm about to photograph. I am always satisfied when I feel that my composition is perfect... and yes that sometimes happens.
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
I would like to keep my work as is… which is testosterone fueled, seductive and masculine.
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images? I work in multi formats from Digital to Polaroid and iPhones.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
I took lots of snapshots as a teenager with my plastic kodak cameras. The photos were of the moment and very informal. Kind of fun. Photographs are planned and filled with ideas. Whether the images are taken in an alley or a proper photo studio.I look to capture the essence of the male subject.
—Interview by Bobby Miller
Michael James O’Brien
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
MICHAEL JAMES O’BRIEN: I have been taking photographs with intention since my first year of grad school when I was in the privileged place of studying with Walker Evans.
What do you like to photograph most?
People
What kind of camera do you use?
Pentax 6x7 for film & Canon for digital
Who were you biggest influences?
Walker Evans, Brassai, Nadar, Claude Cahun, Diane Arbus, Peter Hujar, David Bowie
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about? I have not consciously maintained a set style.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet? I would like to photograph everyone.
What excites you most about photography? Collaboration, communication.
What if anything would you like to change about your work? I wish I could be more prolific. The dry spells are hard to manage. Happily, I teach young photographer’s & curate exhibitions to stay inspired.
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images? I make work on film as well as digitally & process/scan the images & make archival pigment prints. I don’t have the time these days with my duties as Chair of Photography at SCAD (the Savannah College of Art & Design) to spend hours in the darkroom, but we encourage all our students to undertake this essential creative practice. I use very limited photo shop, but I have been working on an AI project for almost a year.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph? Intention.
—Interview by Bobby Miller
MICHAEL JAMES O’BRIEN
Michael James O’Brien is a photographer, teacher, curator, poet and activist currently based in Atlanta, GA where he is Chair of Photography at the Savannah College of Art and Design/SCAD. O’Brien received the B.A. in English Literature from Kenyon College in 1969 & the B.F.A & M.F.A. from Yale University, where he studied with Walker Evans, in 1972. www.michaeljamesobrien.com
“I wish I could be more prolific. The dry spells are hard to manage. Happily, I teach young photographer’s and curate exhibitions to stay inspired.”
“I would like to photograph everyone.”
Miss Guy
“I have been taking photographs with intention since my first year of grad school when I was in the privileged place of studying with Walker Evans.”
Sam Blueboy
PATRICK MCMULLAN
Patrick McMullan is an American photographer, columnist, television personality, publisher, art collector, philanthropist, businessman, and documentarian. https://www.patrickmcmullan.com/
“Every photographer who ever existed wanted to capture a candid moment. That is the great joy. That is what keeps people coming back to photography, the chance to capture something that resonates, that encapsulates. That is the great excitement and joy of photography.”
John F. Kennedy Jr. Dec 4.1987
Fab 5 Freddy and Jean-Michel Basquiat
Anita Sarko's Voodoo Party At Palladium June 13,1986
Keith Haring Photo Shoot November 21, 1986
Patrick McMullan
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
PATRICK MCMULLAN: I have loved photographs for as long as I can remember every kind
What do you like to photograph most?
Well I am mostly a people photographer but I love looking at my world around me as well
What kind of camera do you use?
I use mostly a Nikon D4s, I have a small canon but it is disfunctional so I use the iPhone a lot too. Also A Sony mirrorless camera that I keep in the country.
Who were you biggest influences?
My Father always bought the newest cameras from polaroid ( also video etc.) Worked with a wonderful man photographer named Terry Stevenson while I was at NYU for business school, but I love all the old master photographers I worked in a library as a young man and gravitated towards the photo book area regularly. I loved Life Magazine.as much as the family albums
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about?
I have lots of styles depending on the job or situation.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
I was always interested in learning micro photography. I would also like to learn more photoshop/ Lightroom skills.
What excites you most about photography?
Capturing something unexpected.
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
I am not really sure if I want to change much. Maybe more nature stuff.
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images?
I shot film for years starting with B&W. Which I learned to develop and print on my own. Then moved on to color slides. When digital too over I moved towards that
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
Semantics ! A photograph is usually a print of a snapshot. Perhaps a snapshot is more casual and a photograph more deliberate
—Interview by Bobby Miller
Pops Peterson
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
POPS PETERSON: I became a photographer because painting with oil and canvas was too much trouble! I studied oil painting in my younger years, at Pratt, The High School of Music and Art and Columbia. I excelled in school and loved to paint but hated parting with the paintings, my children, never to see them again. When my best masterpiece, an abstract landscape, was stolen one day, the loss was devastating. And, after college, I found the challenges of buying the costly supplies, getting studio space and especially storage room to be daunting. However, I also excelled at writing in school, writing for the NY Times and having my own column in Essence Magazine before I even graduated from Columbia. And back then there were Xerox machines, you so you give your written creations away—or have them published—and still have your exact same words to keep. Paper takes way less room to store than canvasses and I was being paid to write. So painting fell by the wayside for about 35 years.Then about 10 years ago, I discovered digital painting. Now I could make a picture, share it with the whole world and still have the original right on my hard drive. No space needed for storage, no cash needed for oils and canvas, no messy paints to clean up, ever. I was back in the visual arts, where I truly belonged, at the beginning of an artistic adventure that was new to the whole world. I applied all the secrets of light, line and composition I’d learned in school to the digital medium, and within a year I was already offered a solo exhibition. I knew this was what I was made for, even though it took four decades to come to fruition.
What do you like to photograph most?
I love to tell stories with my photos. I love to bring my inner visions to life with models, props and locations, and produce an image that can evoke emotions and spark compelling conversations. There is nothing like watching someone cry when they’re taking in your photo in a gallery or museum, or for them to tell you how the picture changed their mind or even their life.
What kind of camera do you use?
These days I’m simply using my iPhone. My artistic strengths are based in the ideation of the piece, as well as the digital post-production process. Each finished piece is usually a compilation of many individual shots, and I specialize in blending them together as one. I often hire someone to operate the camera and hang lights, especially on the larger productions, so I can work like a producer/director on a movie set. A good camera person is essential to achieving some of the realistic looks I want, and I’ve been helped the most by photographers Steven J. Donaldson and Joseph Cisneros—and I’d likely be nowhere without Rob Grien’s Mont Vert Studio. Yet some of my most famous works have been shot with the iPhone, both in studio and on location, including the most famous of all, “Freedom from What (I Can’t Breathe),” which has been widely published here and abroad.
Who were you biggest influences?
Norman Rockwell is my muse as well as spiritual mentor. I made a name for myself in the art world by making new, modern version of his iconic masterpieces, such as The Runaway, Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear. I had to walk in his shadow in these productions, solving the same issues of casting, location and light, fitting into the same physical spaces, finding some of the same props, etc. And by doing what he did, I learned the essentials of telling a story with a picture. Ironically, Rockwell was a painter who made his work look realistic like photographs while I’m a photographer who makes my work look like oil paintings. Prior to Rockwell, I primarily shot landscapes and portraits, genres where you simply show what you see. But storytelling is a whole different animal because you are showing something you cannot see, an idea.
Have you developed a certain style to your work, and can you tell us how that came about?
In creating my Reinventing Rockwell series I taught myself how to make a photo look like an oil painting. People are often astonished when the learn my work is made with giclee inks on a printer, not oil paints and a brush. Yet inside the Photoshop software I do indeed used digital brushes, and do much of the work by hand, not just with computer filters. I could never make these works if I hadn’t spent years in the oil studios. Beyond technique, I have come to understand that an artist’s style is the reflection of his state of mind. All my works are infused with my feelings of love and empathy, and I must achieve a certain state of selfhypnosis to reach and maintain that emotional state consistently through the entire creative process.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
Yes. The Obamas.
What excites you most about photography?
The greatest thrill about photography is not knowing what the final photo will be, and who it will inspire. True, I do come up with ideas and work through every aspect of the production and post-production processes. But when the work is done, I generally do not know how in the world it happened. Cliché as it sounds, I feel the paintings have a consciousness of their own, and wait in the ether until I let them come through me to take physical form here on this earth. The finished pictures sometimes take my own breath away, and I wonder how it happened.
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
I want to move onward and upward, and that’s just what’s happening, thank heaven. In the recent, past I’ve been moving from photo to photo, but in doing so I’ve built a collection of works featured in major institutions, like the Norman Rockwell Museum and the State House of Massachusetts. I want my collection to be considered as one whole work of art, and to travel to other museums and galleries worldwide. I’ve also been blessed to do a monumental mural, Walk with Her, mounted both on a huge wall in Pittsfield as well as a conference hall at the University of California, Riverside. My work is meant to inspire people to walk through their challenges and stand up for their rights, messages much needed in today’s political climate. I’m also looking forward to creating major sculptures and installations based on the theme of civil rights for all.
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom, or do you shoot and process digital images?
When I was sixteen, a kind gentleman, Wally Lawrence, gifted darkroom equipment to me and my brother, Gregory. We made black and white prints in the basement of our home in Queens, only stopping when we went to college. And honestly, I don’t know why any photographer in their right mind would want to work that way in this day and age. I mean, would you rather email or use a carrier pigeon? We could only do 36 pictures on a roll, and the film, photo paper and chemicals were unruly as well as costly. Now we can take 36 pictures in one minute and have hundreds of chances for that magic to materialize behind the lens. Without digital imaging I would just stick to writing and karaoke.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
A snapshot simply captures a moment, with little forethought or preparation. A snapshot is a photograph, of course, but we use the term “photography,” to imply that more thought, preparation and hard work has gone into the image. This applies to the journalist who bravely steals his camera into the war zone as well as the fashion photographer who battles with the models and designers.
—Interview by Bobby
Miller
POPS PETERSON
Pops Peterson is a Berkshire-based artist renowned for his innovative series “Reinventing Rockwell” which reimagines Norman Rockwell’s mid-century illustrations to reflect contemporary social issues and America’s diversity. His work combines photography and digital painting, producing vivid, thought-provoking pieces that challenge societal norms while celebrating inclusivity. popspeterson.com
“Norman Rockwell is my muse as well as spiritual mentor. I made a name for myself in the art world by making new, modern version of his iconic masterpieces, such as The Runaway, Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear.”
“I love to tell stories with my photos. I love to bring my inner visions to life with models, props and locations, and produce an image that can evoke emotions and spark compelling conversations. There is nothing like watching someone cry when they’re taking in your photo in a gallery or museum, or for them to tell you how the picture changed their mind or even their life.”
St. Joan, 2015, Inspired by "Girl at Mirror", 1954
Sunday Morning (Meaning of Family)
Original composition featuring Rev. Brent Damrow, husband, John Geldert, and their son, Jake.
RIC IDE
Ric Ide grew up in West Hartford, Conneticut during the 60’s and 70’s. After graduating from college he was employed as a software writer for hydraulic and pneumatic distributors. By the late 80’s he had settled in Provincetown, leaving the corporate life for one more centered around creativity and beauty. A few accomplishments include his historic restorations and award winning gardens. For the past 35 years photography has been a constant pursuit professionally and personally. His work has ranged from commercial advertising and product photography, to gallery still lifes and landscapes.
“I shoot primarily in natural light and I go for the eyes. When eyes lock, even with a photo, there’s a pause and a thought process begins. For a while I had the opportunity to work on the other side of the lens and that’s when I realized it was the creative freedom of the photographer I wanted. That was about 30 years ago.”
Ric Ide
Rik Ide
Ric Ide
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
RIC IDE: For a while I had the opportunity to work on the other side of the lens and that’s when I realized it was the creative freedom of the photographer I wanted. That was about 30 years ago.
What do you like to photograph most?
Definitely people, striving to capture the expressions that can tell a whole story, read a little differently by everyone.
What kind of camera do you use?
I’ve always had Nikon. The cameras I shoot with now are the Nikon d800 and d810.
Who were your biggest influences?
I think I was influenced the most by the fashion photographers of the 80’s. One of the first I was drawn to was Victor Skrebneski and of course Herb Ritz.
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about?
I shoot primarily in natural light and I go for the eyes. When eyes lock, even with a photo, there’s a pause and a thought process begins.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
Living on Cape Cod in Provincetown the list is long. Performers of all kinds are my favorite, the ones that love the camera as much as the camera loves them.
What excites you most about photography?
It’s probably the initial viewing of the images after returning from a shoot. Having expectations, but not quite knowing what the camera captured. It’s very much like opening a kiln after a pottery firing and seeing the magic.
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
There’s nothing I can foresee that I would change knowing my work is constantly evolving through experience and the advancement of technology.
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images?
I shoot strictly digital and haven’t shot film for quite some time. Darkroom processing and editing truly is an art of the past and much too time consuming.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
Now this is only my perception but I believe a snapshot is unplanned and, on the fly, used to journalistically capture the moment. A photograph is more apt to be configured and should display a higher artistic quality.
—Interview by Bobby Miller
Steffen Kaplan
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
I have been taking photos for over 40 years. I took my first meaningful picture in 1978 when I was 13, on Christopher Street as I was walking around my old neighborhood of Greenwich Village during Pride Day/Week. The B&W photo is entitled "Dreaming of Marilyn." I knew from that point on that photography was going to be a part of my life. I feel I became a photographer once I started working at the New York Times and began to understand the power of storytelling and the importance of documenting life. Being a born and bred New Yorker whose mother was one of the first female officers to patrol armed with the men in 1973, years later I decided to document the life of NYC cops from 1990-2000. Several of my photos are in the opening sequence of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
What do you like to photograph most?
My true passion has always been wandering and exploring everywhere I visit. I live for street photography. I really enjoy doing impromptu portraits of people everywhere I go and using the unique scenery around me as background. These days my other true passion and food for my soul is nature photography. I love being out in nature preserves and studying Mother Nature's beauty, i.e. her artwork! When I come upon one of those moments, I always say, "There goes Mother Nature painting again."
What kind of camera do you use?
I use two cameras at all times. My Sony a7rV with a 24-70 2.8 GM, my favorite piece of glass that I carry everywhere. I also use my Samsung s-23 Ultra smartphone which I love for its incredible resolution, sharpness, and great color. It's always about the photographer and simply having a camera in hand, not the brand or model number.
Who were your biggest influences?
I was a supervising photo editor and a freelance photojournalist at The New York Times for 15 years, so many of the great photographers that I worked with and around at the NYT were my biggest influences. I learned so much from them all. Being a photo editor at the NYT was the experience of a lifetime, as I was tasked with sorting through a visual record of history on a daily basis. I must also give a big shout-out to NY Daily News photogs David Handschuh, Ken Murray, and Andrew Savulich, who inspired me to hit the streets of NYC each and every day. I am also a collector of photography "coffee table books" (my basement is running out space) and love to study the work of many of the greats -- Wegee, Sebastio Salgado, Leonard Freed, Steve McCurry, Diane Arbus, Robert Doisneau, Gary Winogrand -- and many more.
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about?
I can't say that I have a certain style to my work even after all these years. What I do take a huge amount of pride in is composition. I always strive for composing just the right photo!
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
My dream is to travel to Antarctica and photograph Emperor Penguins. Morocco and the Galapagos Islands are must visits as well.
What excites you most about photography?
The search for the perfect photo and moment. I live to wander and explore.
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
I don't necessarily want to change anything, but I would love to have a real studio where I can work and play a lot more with lighting and set design etc. That would be fabulous!
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images?
I only shoot digital images these days. I do miss the old days of shooting Kodak Tri-X 400 and 800 speed B&W film and developing it all in my bathroom. I really miss printing too! There was nothing like seeing your image slowly develop right in front of your eyes in a darkroom. It was always magic! These days it's always instant gratification with digital.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
We waste too much time on things like this. Just go observe life in all of its beauty and chaos, soak it all up, and take some photos! Then go out more and step and repeat!
—Interview by Bobby Miller
STEFFEN KAPLAN
Steffen Kaplan is a former award-winning supervising photo editor and freelance photojournalist at The New York Times. After two decades at the NYT, Steffen reinvented himself and has been a social media and visual consultant and live stream producer for many top organizations, non-profits, and universities -- including AARP, The Pulitzer Prizes, and Emory University's Center for the Study of Human Health.
“My true passion has always been wandering and exploring everywhere I visit. I live for street photography. I really enjoy doing impromptu portraits of people everywhere I go and using the unique scenery around me as background.”
On the Job
Swan Light
TONY PINTO
Tony Pinto holds a BA in Fine Art (painting) from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and an MFA in painting and photography from California State University, Los Angeles. Tony is a graphic designer, and a partner in the Vim & Vigor design studio with his wife, Adrienne Grace. He has worked as a designer for more than two decades with clients including Edison, Disney, and Princess Cruises.
“I love to do portraits. Part of that is the interaction I have with whoever I am photographing. Doing portraiture gives me an excuse to get to know people.”
Artist Victor Rodriguez, Brooklyn, 2021
Artist Jessica Brilli, Santa Monica, 2022
Tony Pinto
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
TONY PINTO: I’ve always been an artist, drawing and painting and eventually getting into photography. I started taking B&W photos for a class in high school, and then got serious about photography in college and grad school. So, I’ve been doing this a long time, with breaks where I didn’t make any photos except for snapshots of my kids and vacation pictures, or focused instead on painting.
What do you like to photograph most?
People—I love to do portraits. Part of that is the interaction I have with whoever I am photographing. Doing portraiture gives me an excuse to get to know people. And as an artist, I love to get to know other artists specifically, which is what my “Artist Seen” series is about—portraits of visual artists and other creatives.
What kind of camera do you use?
Digital - A Nikon D610; 35mm Film - an Olympus XA and Nikon FM. I’m in the process of starting to look for a 2-1/4 film camera.
Who were your biggest influences?
People I consider influences are artists that I liked in my teens and early 20s (after that I feel I developed my own vision and was less influenced by what I was seeing). In that list includes photographers such as Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Diane Arbus, Annie Liebovitz, Helmut Newton and other fashion photographers; and painters Lucian Freud, Alex Katz, David Salle, David Hockney. The common thread here is all these photographers and painters do portraits, or at least a lot of work portraying people.
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about?
My “Artist Seen” portrait style is a single bare flash up above the subject and a white background. This does not make particularly flattering portraits! I developed this style initially to shoot reference pictures for oil paintings I was making; I found that having harsh lighting and deep facial shadows were fun to paint. I only painted a handful of oil portraits, but I discovered that I loved the reference photos, so I kept shooting artists and at this point have photographed well over 200. You can see some of my oil painting portraits and more photos at tonypinto.net/artist-seen/
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
Yes, more artists! The list keeps growing…
What excites you most about photography?
Digital: I like the immediacy of it. Unlike a painting that I can labor over for weeks/months, I can see the results right away—instant gratification. Film: I love those moments in the darkroom when the image starts to become visible in the developer—it’s magic!
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
I think most photographers probably answer this the same way: I would like to upgrade my camera and lights. I would love to make the jump to medium format digital, but right now the cost is too high.
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images?
I do both. I usually carry around my small 35mm film Olympus XA that as I use as a visual diary. Once I have a roll or two of TriX 400 shot, I spend a day in the darkroom, processing and printing. For this “Artist Seen” series work, it’s all digital. I shoot with my Nikon D610 and then develop the images using Photoshop. When I can, I have them printed large, at least life size.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
Intent. To me, snapshots are off-the-cuff, merely documenting a moment; photographs involve thinking and planning, and shooting a lot of images to get that one right one.
—Interview by Bobby Miller
Thomas Evans
Why did you become a photographer and how long have you been making photographs?
THOMAS EVANS: Initially, I had always envisioned myself in front of the camera. Then, a friend gifted me with a digital camera, and I began capturing photographs; it felt as if the universe was conspiring to bring my dream to life. Before long, I found myself landing paid opportunities and refining my skills. What truly inspires me as a photographer is the opportunity to collaborate with fellow artists, including makeup artists, models, celebrities, and stylists. I enjoy the ability to shape my environment and bring my creative visions to life. And as an artist I have the freedom to explore and challenge societal norms. I've been a professional photographer for about 18 years.
What do you like to photograph most?
I love to photograph people the most. I find connection and vulnerability very intriguing and it's what I seek when shooting a subject.
What kind of camera do you use?
I am a canon guy. I have eos mark 3 and 4.
Who were you biggest influences?
My biggest influences in photography are David Lachapelle, Steven Klein and Annie Leibovitz. You can see I'm attached to glamour and drama.
Have you developed a certain style to your work and can you tell us how that came about?
As an artist, I delve into the gender spectrum. I have always been fascinated by transformations and the pursuit of authenticity. It seems that many individuals attempt to conform to societal norms, often losing their true selves in the process. Those who dare to break free from the boxes society has placed them in are both courageous and inspiring to me. Through my work, I aim to provide a fresh perspective on gender. The spectrum is incredibly vast, so let’s unite its contrasting sides and explore their connections. Long story short my style is gender non-conforming, glamour, raw and brave.
Are there people or things that you would like to shoot but haven’t yet?
I truly enjoy capturing celebrities in a transformative way. By moving them beyond the familiar public persona, I create opportunities for a different side of their personality to shine through. Capturing Madonna through my lens would be a dream come true. She has inspired me since I was eight. I strive to embody the same fearlessness and vulnerability in my work that she exemplifies.
What excites you most about photography?
What I find most exhilarating about photography is the opportunity to collaborate with other artists and models. Art thrives on collaboration, and I have the privilege of connecting and sharing creative energy with many incredible individuals.
What if anything would you like to change about your work?
I'm not sure if I would change anything; instead, I simply wish to grow. I want to delve deeper into the realities around me. By nurturing curiosity and maintaining an open mind, I hope to gain wisdom and compassion, becoming more attuned to the world and the people in it.
Do you shoot film and work in a darkroom or do you shoot and process digital images?
I mostly shoot digital however I do also shoot instant film during shoots. I use Polaroid and fuji film. I primarily shoot in digital format, but I also incorporate instant film during my sessions. I do love Polaroid and Fuji film.
What is the difference between a snapshot and a photograph?
Snapshots capture moments spontaneously, effortlessly and on the go. A photograph is carefully planned, deliberate and intentional. It involves attention to detail, from selecting the lighting and composition in order to create an image that tells a story or evokes a particular emotion.
—Interview by Bobby Miller
THOMAS EVANS
Thomas Evans, a renowned American photographer, is recognized for his unconventional, gender-fluid style that pushes boundaries for both his subjects and audience. Striking a balance between playfulness and provocation, masculinity and femininity, as well as class and glamour, Evans has made a significant impact. His work has been showcased in various publications, he has directed music videos, led workshops at the University of Connecticut, collaborated with numerous celebrities, and challenged societal norms through initiatives like Femme the Man. Additionally, he holds the position of Creative Director at Health Care Advocates International. https://www.thomasevansphotography.com/
“Through my work, I aim to provide a fresh perspective on gender. The spectrum is incredibly vast, so let’s unite its contrasting sides and explore their connections. Long story short my style is gender non-conforming, glamour, raw and brave.”
“As an artist, I delve into the gender spectrum. I have always been fascinated by transformations and the pursuit of authenticity. It seems that many individuals attempt to conform to societal norms, often losing their true selves in the process. Those who dare to break free from the boxes society has placed them in are both courageous and inspiring to me.”
Olivia Monster
Hunter
ARTFULMIND@YAHOO.COM
The complete May edition of *The Artful Mind* magazine is now available on YUMPU.COM and ISSUU.COM, as well as in print. The publisher would like to thank Bobby Miller for his extensive research and acknowledge the artists who contributed to this project. We appreciate Bobby's dedication to his passion for photography and his recognition of National Photography Month in 2025.
Thank you!
—Harryet Candee
