Statement of Work
The Story Comes First
For more than five decades, I have used photography to explore the human experience—not simply to record what I see, but to understand what lies beneath it.
I am a photojournalist, documentary photographer, writer, and storyteller. At the heart of my work, however, is something much simpler:
I am a witness.
When I work with an organization, a community, or an individual, I do not begin with a predetermined story. I begin by listening.
I want to understand the people behind the work, the circumstances that shaped them, the challenges they face,
and the reasons their stories matter. I believe the most meaningful work emerges when there is enough time and trust to move beyond what is immediately visible.
I want to understand the people behind the work, the circumstances that shaped them, the challenges they face, and the reasons their stories matter. I believe the most meaningful work emerges when there is enough time and trust to move beyond what is immediately visible.
Listening Before Looking
Every assignment begins with understanding.
Before I make photographs, I learn as much as I can about the people, place, organization, and purpose behind the project. I ask questions. I listen. I observe. And I remain open to discovering that the story may be different from the one we initially imagined.
I try to enter each encounter without preconceived conclusions.
People are not simply representatives of an issue, a community, a program, or a point of view. They are individuals—with histories, hopes, contradictions, humor, struggles, and stories of their own.
That distinction matters.
Presence Before Interpretation
My approach is rooted in presence rather than direction.
I do not believe documentary storytelling should manufacture emotion or impose a conclusion. My role is to be present long enough to recognize what is authentic—and to create the space for that reality to reveal itself.
Sometimes that means photographing what happens.
Sometimes it means waiting.
Sometimes it means asking a question.
And sometimes the most important thing I can do is simply listen.
Photography Is One Part of the Story
A photograph can make us pause.
It can make us curious.
It can challenge what we thought we knew.
But a photograph is not always the entire story.
Depending on the project, I may combine photography with interviews, written narrative, audio, video, or other forms of storytelling. The medium should serve the story—not the other way around.
The camera is my way of entering the conversation.
The photograph is where I begin it.
Collaboration
The strongest stories are built collaboratively.
At the beginning of a project, we establish what you hope to communicate, who needs to hear it, and what the work needs to accomplish. From there, we determine the appropriate approach, scope, schedule, and deliverables.
I bring the experience of more than five decades of working with people and stories in places around the world.
You bring knowledge of your organization, your community, and the people you serve.
The work becomes strongest when those perspectives meet.
The Work Is Guided by Trust
Documentary storytelling depends upon trust.
I approach the people I photograph with respect and transparency. I do not believe in exploiting vulnerability for dramatic effect, nor in reducing complex human experiences to convenient narratives.
The goal is not to make people look a certain way.
The goal is to see them clearly.
That requires patience, curiosity, and a willingness to allow the story to become more complicated before it becomes more complete.
What I Deliver
Every project is different, and the final deliverables are determined by the story and the project's purpose.
Depending on the assignment, these may include:
Documentary photography
Portraiture
Environmental portraiture
Written stories and profiles
Interviews and first-person narratives
Photo essays
Multimedia storytelling
Short-form video or audio
Images and stories for websites, publications, campaigns, reports, and social media
Archival documentation
Educational or presentation materials
The specific deliverables, licensing, timeline, usage, and production requirements will be defined in the individual project agreement.
The Finished Story
My objective is not simply to produce photographs.
It is to create something that allows another person to see, understand, and perhaps care about something they might otherwise never encounter.
I do not photograph to tell people what to think.
I photograph to give them something worth thinking about.
Ultimately, the work is an attempt to bear witness—to the people, places, and experiences that make up this complicated life we share.
The story comes first.
Everything else follows.