[ Frequently Asked Questions ]

*How long have you been a photographer & illustrator?

Most of my life. My dad started me off with a Canon AE-1 at 6 years old. I learned metering for camera and movie film stock by age 11. I've always loved illustration and art in general. My dad has had a HUGE influence on me in both areas.

*So do you still shoot film? What kind of camera do you use?

No, I don't shoot film any more. I shoot with a Canon 10D digital SLR. The results are quicker than film, and I don't have to scan it to get it into Photoshop.

*You shoot digital for your photography, but how about the illustration? Is it traditional or digital too?

I start most of my illustrations traditionally with a combination of different pencils and paper. I've never been a fan of working traditionally in color, so any pieces that make it past the sketch stage ends up in a digital medium. I guess a short answer to that question would be that sketches stay on paper, but full-blown color illustrations and design are all digital.

*What programs do you work in once the illustrations make it to digital?

Most of the time it's Photoshop. I LOVE the airbrushing functions of Photoshop. I've been using it since version 2, and currently work in CS3 (10). I'm also a big fan of Corel Painter 8. You can't get better paint emulation than Painter.

*Do you do all of this with a mouse? That can't be easy.

No. I use a digital pen and tablet. Specifically a Wacom Intuos 2 6x8.

*What kind of computer do you use?

I have a 15" 2 Ghz MacBook Pro with 2 gigs of RAM, and a 24" 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo iMac with 2 gigs of RAM. I also have an old G4 733MHz that I use as a server.

*When you print your images, what do you use?

I print everything on an Epson 2200. They're wonderful printers. Almost as good as traditional photo printing.

*You keep referring to yourself as an instructor, and you have a student gallery. What's with that?

I'm a college-level educator at a Washington Post owned photography/design school. I've been teaching for years, and love it. I mainly teach Photoshop, photography, and web courses.