The Surfer

There is no doubt this story is about characters and in some senses about stereotypes, but clearly a play on them. I love different looking people; some may say exotic looking people. I am really into unconventional beauties. I casted over 300 people for this series, looking for just the right combination of beauty and interest. I think the challenge with still photography is telling an entire story in a single image. For me most of this story is told in the eyes – then for fashion the story is further filled out with the right model and styling. These people are from all over the world, but this was shot in LA, so they were all in California at the time. Originally I shot this for Vision magazine. However, I would say it is in part personal work since Vision gives so much creative freedom to the photographers contributing. This series stands out for me in my body of work because I just love the different people featured, especially the girl with all the freckles – she is just amazing looking. I also like the styling and that this fashion story is a bit of a blend of fashion and documentary work.

I think my style is constantly evolving. I love a challenge and to experiment and take different approaches. I get really bored doing the same thing over and over again. Some core elements in my work would be striving for something in the eyes of my subjects and even though this series does not show it, I like movement and interesting angles

Final advice:

Save up for the leap to be a pro.

Take a business course.

Never quit.