I have never been interested in assisting -- I started working as a photographer my freshman year of college (for CMJ Music Monthly, etc) and that was it. Working for someone else was never on my radar.

Richard Avedon was the reason I decided to become a photographer -- at his Whitney Retrospective in the early 90s, which I traveled to see from DC -- I realized that photography was what I wanted to do with my life. I was so inspired by his fashion work, especially the movement images. I have never actually thought about it until now, but I think it's possible to see that influence in my work today.