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At what point in your life did you say to yourself, “Hey, I want to be a Photographer?

When I was 22, I took a B&W class at my first school. I loved the technical skill involved with photography, and it just fit. It was something I could excel in, and it was fun.

What inspires your photography, such as people, places, environments?

A lot of my inspiration comes from movies and music. I also do quite a bit of research of other photographers work. I pay particular attention to not copy what I see, but to absorb it, and then forget about it. That way it comes out when it needs to.

When working with a model, what qualities do you like to see?

Confidence and personality. I dread getting a model on set that is quiet. It sounds cliche' but I want to be able to connect with my models. I love it when a model comes in and can speak intelligently and is vibrant.

The battle continues over who makes the better camera, do you have a preference of brand and why?

I don't have a preference really... My first camera was a Canon F1, then a Nikon N80. My first digital was a Nikon D100 and now I shoot a Canon 5d. To me the brands will continually go back and forth beating each other to the next great camera. Right now the best option for me is Canon, 2 years from now it could be Nikon.. who knows.

There are photographers who prefer working either in studio or location, which is yours and why?

The work that you did of our CoverModel, Brittney, is excellent. Can you take us on a short tour of how you set up the shot that we decided on for the cover? Sure... you may find it anti-climactic... but: I was just testing Brittney, and a new team. I wanted to get down to the bare bones of the model, and the rest of the team, by not over complicating the lighting. Every image I did of Brittney was one light, except for the headshot (one lighting the background, one the model). The covershot was done with one light to the left of the model. It was a Beauty dish with a 35 degree grid, on an AB800 (alien bee). I just leaned her against a white wall. She really embraced the more sexy poses.

What direction do you see yourself taking with your photography?

I'm currently in grad school at SCAD-Atlanta, which is a notorious fine art photography program, to get more of an "artsy" edge to my work. I went to a commercial school for photography, and it has defined the way my images look today, but I feel its changing... slowly but surely. I see it getting more contextual, in that I won't just set up a shoot because it will look cool, but because it will be something new for someone to look at, and something that will involve the viewers.

Is there a certain company or magazine that you would love to shoot for?

This may sound bad... but no. I don't really think about it like that. I hope to eventually find a company that wants My look for their ads, and I can be apart of their success. As far as magazines... I want as many international publications as possible. It doesn't matter to me if it is in Australian Vogue, or Amica. To me there is no such thing as bad press, and the more people that see my work the better. The ultimate goal is to support myself and a family with my work, if that means shooting for Target... Awesome! What I shoot for money, won't dictate what I shoot personally.

There has been some debate over the use of Photoshop. Do you use the program and to what extent?

I am a freelance re-toucher here in Atlanta, so I use it quite a bit. As far as my work goes... there isn't an image that I produce that doesn't go through Photoshop. I am such a "get it right in camera" kind of photographer, which allows me to spend time making the image BETTER in Photoshop rather than fixing it.

If you could shoot any model in the world, who would that be and why?

Ughgh I'm TORN!!! I swore when I got into fashion photography that I would shoot Kate Moss before I retire! I don't care if she's 95 and in a wheel chair! She has always been my ideal perception of a model (good and bad). But there is the amazing Lily Cole...I love redheads, and she isn't the typical model, she has a BODY! I won't believe that I have "made it" in this industry until one of them has been in front of my lens!

What do you see as advantages and disadvantages of using models from sites such as ModelMayhem versus going thru an agency?

ooohh good question! I have worked with some fantastic people from MM, and I've worked with horrible agency models. It all comes down to finding the right person for the project you are doing. Just because a model comes from an agency it doesn't mean they will be good. I work mostly with agency models, but I put them through the same process that I do with MM models. I test. I call the models in for a simple shoot, no concept, and they bring their own clothes. I spend 2 hours shooting them in various lighting set ups, and different outfits to see what their look is. I then talk with my team, and I get their opinions based upon their area of expertise. Then I decide whether I want to shoot them again or not. I shoot with mostly agency models because they are being pushed by their booker to shoot. I don't shoot every model the agency sends my way, some girls, I just don't like, but if they really want me to shoot them, I give them my rates. Sometimes the agency says "you need to test with Rich", sometimes they don't, it just depends on the model and what the agency wants. The agency does keep me updated on every new face that comes in the door, hoping that the new girl can get some free images, and I find a new muse.

On sites like MM, models contact me quite a bit for TFP. I look at their portfolios, and decide yes or no. The majority of the time it is no. I do keep certain models in mind that have potential, and I occasionally do a test with them to try out a new team. I know it sounds bad, but I can't have a great agency model come out and have a new MUA do a bad job on their face. But I look at it that like this: the model contacted me because she'd like to shoot with me, and get some great images, and they get great images. They aren't going to be ground breaking magazine worthy images (sometimes we get lucky), but they will be good for their book. Like I said before, It comes down to what your project requires, if the best model for the job is on MM, and not represented, I will use her, if Kate Moss walks through the door, and she doesn't fit the concept, I won't use her for that project. But you damn well better believe that I will cancel the other project to shoot Kate! Actually my next big project I have an agency model and a MM model booked.

What is your spin on workshops? Have you attended any and if so what do you feel is the most beneficial part?

I have only attended one workshop. It was a Photoshop seminar 4 years ago. I think workshops are good for hobbyists. That’s not meant to be an insult, but I think once you get to a certain level with your work, they become a waste of time and money, because it will be a lot of what you already know, and maybe a tiny bit you don't. They are a good place to start for beginners, but with fashion, you have to be pretty advanced to even attempt a professional level shot, and if you can pull that together, you probably know more than a workshop will be able to teach you.

You have stated your educational background, do you feel it has helped you break away from those who have chosen not to go that route?

In some ways yes... and some ways no. The school that I went to gave me a TREMENDOUS technical background. Honestly there isn't a set of lights I can't figure out, or a camera I can't use. But at the same time, I lack a bit in the creative/artistic department. I know people in this business that took the route that I have, and have become very successful. I also know people that started assisting without even knowing what a C-stand was, and are very successful as well. I think regardless of whether you go to school for photography or not you have to be able to utilize the skill set that you have. Whether you paid $60k to learn it, or you worked in the trenches for 10+ years assisting. Ultimately you have to be able to recognize your weaknesses and improve on them in order to get out of the swamp of mediocrity.

There seems to be a trend for some photographers to now video their shoots, have you moved in that direction? Why or why not?

Wow, until now I hadn't noticed it as a trend, but I guess you are right!! I have actually thought about doing videos. Not for educational purposes necessarily, but because we have so much fun on set that I think it might be cool to show everyone else how much we love what we do. I don't know a damn thing about video editing, so I wouldn't know the first thing about getting started, but I would imagine sometime in the near future I will start bringing a video camera onto set, and letting an assistant go crazy with it... just to see what we get!

What do you feel was the most beneficial advice you have ever benefited from in relation to the field of photography?

I have 2... I think they go hand in hand in molding who I am now. 1st... "Sabenza!!" which is the Zulu for "work". It was a word that an instructor wrote on a piece of paper and gave to me my last year in school. It was his way of reminding me to do what I needed to do to be successful. He was south African and a total hard ass! Nothing was ever good enough for this man. He kept pushing me and pushing me, often to the breaking point at which I would flip out and storm out of class. But of any instructor I have had, or ever will have, he is by far my favorite. I have that piece of paper framed in my office.

2nd...Recently, I discovered a quote, by Henry Fox Talbot: "Make image of kaleidoscope" It was a note found in Talbot’s diary. It reminds me that we (photographers) "make" images, we don't take them. It also reminds me to explore what fascinates me, much like I assume the kaleidoscope fascinated Talbot enough that he wanted to see if he could make an image of what he saw through it. It inspires me to go beyond my comfort zone and push to be an innovator. I have that quote in HUGE letters across my office wall, so every day I am reminded.

Those two quotes, when I heard them the first time gave me a sense of clarity and purpose to what I was doing.