Duration: This is my fifth year. I graduated Portfolio Center in 2003. Before that, I worked as a retoucher, first in New York, then in Atlanta. My training as a retoucher has been a great asset as film has moved toward digital. After graduation, I almost moved to Chicago, and then I shot an annual report that January for VSA in the Chicago area and realized I would never be able to survive one of those winters.

Staff: I'm my only full-time employee. I work closely with my rep, Terry Squire, who tirelessly promotes my work and maintains excellent client relationships. I do have interns from time to time and assemble crews as needed for each job.

Education: I have a BA in English as well as my certificate from Portfolio Center. Photo school was critical for my career. Two years of study allowed me to focus all my attention on understanding how to communicate with pictures. Additionally, nearly every job I had my first two years out was directly related to people I met while at Portfolio Center.

Cultural Influences: Public radio and the New York Times Magazine. I really love the real people stories I hear on public radio: “StoryCorps,” “This American Life” and “Radio Lab” are remarkable. They underscore how necessary it is to see the commonalities of our lives and not get lost in the details. Every Sunday, whether I have time to read the stories or not, I'm looking at the pictures in the New York Times Magazine.

Environment: Photography is an amazing way to experience life. With a camera in my hands, I find people opening up to me in surprising ways. I love what I do and expect that people I work with love what they do, too. This keeps my working environment pretty comfortable.

Philosophy: I believe we each have a medium for understanding our lives and how we relate to each other. I learn about my world by making pictures.