I'm based in Madison, Wisconsin where I live with my lovely wife, hilarious four-year-old daughter, and somewhat aloof dog. I'm happy to travel; contact me to arrange details. I'm often in Seattle and Chicago; I don't get to Toronto as often as I'd like, but do make it from time to time.

I'm a conservatory-trained saxophonist, and continued my musical education playing jazz and rock in clubs, bars, and wedding reception halls. I still play for fun (I'm reacquainting myself with the clarinet these days), but haven't been active in the local scene since we moved to Madison.

Your Music Comes First!

When you hire me to shoot a performance or recording session, I understand that having your photo taken isn't going to be the only thing on your mind; you're there to make music.

I've been in the studio as a musician and know that the time in there isn't cheap; I work hard to be as transparent as possible. In these situations I shoot like a photojournalist; I won't try to pose you or interfere with the other people there that have their own jobs to do (setting up mics, etc). I'll just shoot what's happening as it happens.

In addition to using the same transparent approach I take in recordings, I never use flash during a performance; I've heard horror stories from clients about amateur photographers coming to gigs and just walking right up to (sometimes even onto) the stage, blocking everyone's view, and firing a flash right into the performer's eyes. When possible, I like to come to rehearsals and/or sound checks, and then I may set up some flashes for controlled light photos. Of course, when we're doing portraits I'll use flashes if needed. When I do use flashes, they're rarely, if ever, going to be directly pointed into your face!

How I Got Into Photography

I'm often asked how I made the transition from music to photography. There is a lot of overlap between the two: both require a solid foundation of plain old technique, an understanding of abstract concepts (with some math thrown in), and—of course—a heap of creativity. Photography also requires practice and that you continue to push yourself and grow; just like with music, there is no magic point where a creative photographer says, "I'm good enough now, I can stop."

My interest in photography started back when I was a kid. Someone (probably an aunt or uncle—I don't even remember) gave me a camera they no longer needed. It was old and funky, and I thought it was really cool. I had no idea what I was doing, but that didn't stop me from trying. I set up little scenes with my Star Wars guys and shot them. The photos never turned out. (and yes, I was a dork...)

When I started playing the saxophone, everything took a backseat to that.

My interest in photography came back, and this time I grabbed it both hands... no more out-of-focus Star Wars guys! Over the years, I've gone from 35mm film cameras to large format view cameras (shooting sheets of film 8" x 10" and 4" x 5") with some medium format in there, too. I've shot color negative, color transparency, and black and white film. I built a darkroom in my basement where I developed the black and white sheet film and made silver halide prints.

I now shoot almost exclusively digital. I resisted for a long time, but just a few years ago I saw some digital photos that convinced me to make the jump. I'm now able to get images that make me as happy as shooting film does. I won't get into a debate about one being better than the other: film will always have a place in my heart (don't be surprised if I show up with both film and digital cameras!), but there's no question that digital is much more convenient in today's all-digital workflows.