As a child, I remember being enchanted by black & white photographs.  I loved the drama and crispness of the images and the way ordinary people became more than ordinary when they were caught on film.  Posing in front of their homes in family groups and standing next to their new cars, people took on a look of pride.  There was a mystery to these photographs.  Looking through the little viewfinder on the boxy cameras, that magically became pictures,  fascinated me.  The pictures brought pleasure to us, the ordinary people.

I wanted to create beauty and I found I could “draw” with a camera.  What I didn’t know was that it would take years of practice to get the results I desired.  I enjoyed the learning process and the people I met along the way.  We shared experiences, techniques and many laughs.  It was an exciting time. 

Early on, I worked with Bud Fraker in his Beverly Hills Studio.  He had been the head still photographer for Paramount Studios.   Bud said that I had an eye for photography. He was very supportive and working for him gave me a first hand look at  how a successful studio operates.  I made my first print in his darkroom.  The print came up in seconds and I was hooked by its magic.  In time,  the accolades came as my work improved and I began to make a living as a photographer.