It was at this point I looked at one of my Dad’s old Nikormat cameras. It sat there with a dead battery and a 35mm lens. I convinced my neighbor, a sexy girl with this wild curly hair to come upstairs for a photo shoot. I asked her if I could photograph her to a dark storyline, she agreed. I found a makeup artist I had never used before. Okay, I’m upstairs with my neighbor and a 1k Solarspot light and my camera loaded with Tri-X. I began my process by doing what all film directors do. Set the mood, story and action in the scene. I told her to look out the window and see her boyfriend leave the house, get in his car and drive away. I also told her that this would be the last time that she’ll ever see him. I didn’t let her move until she actually had me believing that her boyfriend was outside the window and leaving. A little tear dropped out of her eye and I quietly whispered to myself, “It’s working”. I asked her to dance in front of a broken mirror to the thoughts that I planted in her head. Like a broken down girl she moved in a shaft of light with tears steaming down her face. I clicked away one frame at a time directing her in and out of moods and light. The dark mood worked so well my makeup artist actually left. My model had completely trusted me and entered a world for me to shoot. THIS is what I love! Reproducing moments that are filed away in my mind and translating them to film.  I was onto something that would change my life and mold my style to come.   After this shoot I never shot again for years. A detour awaited me.

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