Coming from California and growing up where I did, I've always had a fondness for and innate sensitivity to light, texture, and warmth.

Even though I didn't get a business degree, I enjoyed learning about economics.

For me, the most important thing I learned was just honing my eye. I think I had a good eye.

I think a lot of the time these days people are so concerned about having the right camera and the right film and the right lenses and all the special effects that go along with it, even the computer, that they're missing the key element.

I'm pretty selective. I generally edit the contact sheets and then do work prints. Because I have my own lab and printers, I can afford the luxury of going through the contact sheets for black-and-white, making up work prints, seeing them big, and honing them down.

I always enjoyed art history because, growing up in California, my exposure was limited, and it was a new experience. To learn the history of art opened up certain things to me, made me see. It intrigued me.

Each time I did assignments or editorials, I realized that I wanted to do something more. I saw that it wasn't just about the clothes.