As a teenager, I really was engrossed in Photo Darkroom processing. It was like alchemy, transforming light projected onto paper and with chemicals transforming the negative image of a person into a positive image made of silver particles imbedded onto a piece of paper. This creative process surpassed all the other hobbies I had a deep interest in such as a Ham Radio station and Oil Painting. I also had to gain work as a carpenter to finance these expensive hobbies.
At the age of twenty one, I was hired as a assistant to a portrait photographer who was very much like another Yosouf Karsh. He taught me about classic portrait lighting which was in style in Hollywood at the time. It lent itself to Men’s portraits since the lighting enhanced character in ones face. After four years of apprenticeship, I decided to explore fashion photography. I had to supplement my income as a Ballroom dance instructor.
This was a new era in photography and was popular with New York fashion photographers such as Richard Avedon and Francesco Scuvullo. I began experimenting with combining both styles with some of my actor friends. I even enrolled in an acting class at UCLA to help me direct actors. It’s called “sense - memory recall” and it has been a huge help in bringing out a the heroic, “bigger than life” spirit in the actors.
This new look in Hollywood that I had achieved, was an immediate hit with many actors. Soon big name actors like Rock Hudson, and singers, such as Neil Diamond, Tom Jones, and Richard Burton wanted my photos. They sought the innovative lighting I had designed as well as the hand-crafted backgrounds I was becoming known for, which I had built and painted myself.
Herb Alpert, Chuck Norris, and George Hamilton, to name a few, noticed my special photographic style also. Then there was Julio Iglesias and Arnold Schwarzenegger! With the style I had developed and my ability to direct the novice and laymen actors, I soon captured the attention of the women in the industry as well. The actors agencies were sending in the not only the male actors but the female models as well.
Frank Sinatra noticed my work and retained me to photograph he and the “Rat Pack”. I was also retained by President Ronald Reagan to photograph his official portrait.
Now, with the ability to use my Canon digital cameras and with the faster Speedatron strobe lights, I can capture the fleeting expressions much more effectively than before. This is a benefit especially with the actors and performers of today that have higher energy levels and are more mercurial in front of a camera.
I feel as comfortable now photographing men as much as women, no matter what walk of life, each calling for a different lighting customized to them, and a very personal reciprocal interaction between the subject and myself. This is what I feel will instill that moment in time when a photographer can capture the true essence within his subject.
Below you will find Actor headshots taken at the Harry Langdon Studio. Some examples of my work include the following faces:
