My camera is my compass; it's guided me to so many different places.

The photograph is to a great degree evidence of the conversation I had with the person. It's a part of my visual diary.

Philip Jones Griffith documented the Vietnam War, and through his images that were published in Time Life Magazine, it showed me the horrors of war and at that time, I wanted to be a war photographer, based off his work.

When you look at my photos, just look into the eyes of my subjects. The eyes say so much.

I think what it was with the war photography was the concerned eye, the desire to document these situations to show the world the horrors of war. It inspired me to document prostitution; inspired me to document homelessness in America. We are the richest country in the world, yet we have people suffering, so it helped me to look at things in that manner.

I place myself in situations where a lot of people are going to be, and bring a particular body of work that reflects the people already there. You have to study your subject.

I think that's what the war photography did for me. It showed me the human side of people and how certain circumstances can change people's lives.