I am not a people person. Never was. Never will be. So when I took up street photography, I found it difficult to photograph other people. I didn't want a confrontation. So I began to photograph store windows. Some are quite beautiful, and mannequins are not confrontational. In time, I became more comfortable photographing other people. But I never lost my love of store displays. At their best, they offer a master class in composition and the use of color. They can be whimsical. They can be thought provoking. They tell you a lot about a city or a neighborhood. This is my take on store windows.
Once I wanted to be Ansel Adams, a reach, especially for someone who lives and photographs in New Jersey. But even when I went out into real wilderness, I never felt at one with these places. My introduction to street photography was "Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Early Work". I was hooked immediately. My first attempts at street photography were in New York. From the beginning, I knew this was where I belonged. Even in neighborhoods that were new to me, I felt that these were my streets. I have photographed in the US, in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. They are still my streets.
