Being an American is about having the right to be who you are. Sometimes that doesn't happen.

Actually, when I first started dabbling in photography, I was still working for my parents as a salesman.

I think knowing people by first names, not by what they do sexually, is really what it's about. Not being afraid. Fear is the enemy. I've always been comfortable with being gay.

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

Well, I liked it - that was the main thing. I liked it, but I didn't think of it in terms of a career. I didn't really know; I didn't really think about it. One thing just led to another until finally I quit my job as a salesman and found myself working as a photographer.

And what excites me most is the type of public, the fact that the Parisian people have a broader cultural understanding than many Americans do.

Being an American is about having the right to be who you are. Sometimes that doesn't happen.