After my time in the U.S Army, I arrived back home in New Orleans in 1973 with not much of a clue what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I developed an interest in photography in the Army, but had no formal training. A good friend of mine and fellow Army veteran set up a darkroom in our apartment and decided to open a photography business. Moderately successful doing odd jobs and convention work, after a time we realized we really didn’t know what we were doing. We both decided to get professional training.
The digital landscape of today didn’t exist in the 70’s. Photography was all film, darkroom printing, and retouching by hand. A quality professional photograph was all technique, lighting, and composition. We both chose Brooks Institute of Photography which at that time was located in Santa Barbara, CA. I waited until 1975 to enroll. Brooks was not an art school but, along with Rochester Institute in New York, one of the leading schools in the U.S. for learning professional technique. It was there where I received a great education in the application of all manner of photography equipment - all camera formats as well as darkroom. It was also there where I learned state-of-the-art (at the time) film development and printmaking techniques for both black & white and color.
My time at Brooks gave me the confidence to think I could make it in, what I considered the top of the advertising photography world, New York City. Years after I graduated, Brooks moved to Los Angeles. In the last year they closed their doors for good, probably due to all the advancements in the current digital age. But I cherish my time there.
School can only give one so much. It is up to the individual to put this technique to use and develop their own style. Lighting can be taught, but it is up to the photographer or artist (if they really want to learn) to see how the greats apply the use of light. The same goes for composition. This gallery contains a selection of photos I generated between 1975 - 1977 while I was at Brooks.
In those years, I was experimenting creatively and gradually attempting to develop my own style - not only with composition and lighting, but with subject matter as well.
STORY
The attempt here is to tell a story with a single photograph - kind of like a poem. The idea is to let the viewer experience an emotion and make up their own story and truth about what the image means.
DESIGN
Strictly design with common objects using the application of light to make these ordinary images interesting.
PORTRAIT
To me a portrait should be well lit and say something about the soul of the individual you are photographing. I also experimented hand-painting black & white prints.
STREET
I was trying to tell a story here as well, but with a moment in time - reality on the street.
FASHION
Clothes and lighting are the thing. Light it well and use creative ways to show the fashion. But to me this is also a portrait in a way.
After Brooks it was on to New York where my education reached another level. I will post a gallery of my New York professional work at a later date. If you would like technical information or how any of these photos were created, please ask your question via the Contact menu item on the left had side of the page.