To my uncle, who played an important role in my development as a photographer. I used to drive to his house in New Jersey a few times a year and spend the weekend in his darkroom printing images. My Aunt Marie would make me sandwiches and keep me fed while I would spend nearly all day and night in that darkroom. At the end of each night, I would show my uncle the prints I made, and we would talk about them — composition, subject matter, and what made an image work. He would offer his opinion and suggestions on things I could try, and was always very encouraging. I miss him and wish he could see the work I am producing today.
To my Abuela, who helped me afford to build a darkroom of my own in the basement. At that point, driving back and forth to New Jersey a couple of times a year was not enough. Abuela was very generous with my sister and me. She could be a tough cookie too, but even with those rough edges, she did so much for me as a kid. Helping me buy a darkroom of my own was a priceless gift, and it gave me the chance to keep learning on my own. She lived to 99 and was a feisty son of a gun until the day she passed.
RIP Abuela, Thank you so much.
A special thanks to Allen Batt (BattMan) and Robert Milazzo.
I met Allan at the printing press where my dad worked. I told him I loved photography and was hungry to learn, so I started assisting him for free just to gain experience. Allan was very generous with his time, and it was a lot of fun helping him out on weekends. He even threw me a couple of small jobs here and there. That was all it took to really get the gears turning in my head and make me want more.
I found Robert Milazzo through one of those old art books photographers used to pay big money to get into, hoping art directors and editors would see their work and hire them. Robert also gave me a chance, even though I was still pretty green. His studio moved at a much faster pace. At the time, he was photographing mostly TV soap stars. Since I was still learning, I often got sent out of the studio to pick up supplies while a more experienced assistant stayed inside.
I wanted to be in that studio so badly that I started rollerblading to pick up supplies and props. It was a great workout, and a lot of times I could beat the taxis. The picture on the left really happened.
I can’t thank these guys enough. Sure, I busted my ass and did my best to be a good assistant, but they gave me opportunities and experiences that helped shape me. Allan photographs food these days for his cookbooks, and you can see some of his beautiful work in them.
