I go into every shoot with a concept in mind, but I also keep my mind open to other ideas. While photographing Cherie, I likedº
her playful pose, so I turned it into a more dramatic image by cropping it to create more of an abstract form. I also changed to
a single, highly directional light source. (Camera:Olympus E-1;Lens:Olympus Zuiko 50mm lens, effective focal length 100mm;
ISO:100;Shutter speed:^1 / 125 second;Aperture:f/6.3;Lighting:Hensel Integra Pro Plus 500 monolight fitted with a 7-inch re-
flector and 10-degree grid to the right of the model;White balance:6000K)
PREFACEglamour photography). Nor did I do it because my father told me to (al-
though he enjoys the photos more than my mom does). I decided to write
this book because I felt bound to share my knowledge with all my friends,
those I know personally and those I may never meet but who share my
passion for photography.
This book is also very personal—like a friend to me. Both of my last
two books featured some images from photographer friends of mine. This
book, on the other hand, is 100 percent my photography (with the ex-
ception of the author photo).
Photography is my dearest friend. It keeps my heart going and my life
interesting. I hope it’s one friend I’ll never lose, because then I know I’ll
be resting in a better place (even if my mom doesn’t always think so). God
Bless, and keep our veterans and their families in your prayers!