What was your inspiration for starting “Face of the Month”?
After 25-30 years in the industry, after seeing so many faces, one would think that they would blur; but instead of blurring together, there began to be standout faces, faces that stood-out, not because of their bone structure or eye color, but rather because of what lay inside and behind the faces: the empathy and intelligence, the education and values. This is just a humble effort of a fashion photographer to help bring recognition to the extraordinary, but sometimes overlooked qualities of beauty that make up a face behind the painted eyes and dusted cheeks.
Is the FOM only a female, or do you also choose men?
I primarily work with women and find my work tends to weigh towards feminine subjects. Naturally, I see beauty most obvious in women, though male subjects often fall into the fashion equation.
I notice since we started FOM on Agenda, each month the person chosen is from either an exotic place or has a very interesting background. What is your selection process that makes somebody a good candidate for FOM?
I work in an industry peopled by a very diverse crowd, in addition to Los Angeles, the city we’re based out of, being a rich cultural mecca. Modeling as a profession also brings together a huge collective of nationalities and ethnicities, as well. So far the “Face of the Month” choices have ranged from an Israeli, an Indian-heritaged girl born in New Zealand, and a Muscovite. Their skills also vary and have spanned from combat sniper/bio-geneticist to hula hooping psychologist. But they all stand out in an extraordinary fashion.
I love the editorials you do on each person. What is the inspiration for those? Tell us a little about your shooting and creative processes.
One’s stories always begin based on what they have read, seen, and imagined when incidents are pieced together, one after another—they form a story. This isalso how cliches are born; after a certain age of experience, one begins to break these cliches, whether they involve technique or creative temperance.
Do you have to be a model to be considered? What in your opinion makes a good model?
The selection process usually involves subjects crossing my path, whether through a commercial/editorial or artistic venture. These faces are primarily made up of fashion models, though a model is merely the most refined example of what one is trying to illustrate. There are many types of models, and though we traditionally work with agency-represented girls that are professionally pursuing an active career that brings them in front of my camera, we do welcome submissions for “Face of the Month.”
