I do my best work when I understand the vibes of a city. It teaches me what to look for and how I approach my photography. I do most of my work in New York where the vibe is frantic at best. San Francisco is another story. Laid back, even intimate and decidedly not New York chaotic. I was drawn to individuals or small groups often doing nothing in particular. Even the city's famous murals seemed relaxed. I focused not on the huge tableau but on small, more intimate faces. I found the pace of the city was best displayed in black and white. This is my take on the vibe of San Francisco.
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.
