One of my all-time favorite photographers is Irving Penn. I wish I could have watched him work.

I want my photographs not only to be real but to portray the essence of my subjects also. In order to do that, you have to be patient.

In a portrait, you always leave part of yourself behind.

I think the prom is very serious also. It's an American ritual, it's a rite of passage, and it's very much a part of this country.

Finding the right subject is the hardest part.

Everyone asks me how I get my subjects to open up to me. There’s no formula to it. It’s just a matter of who you are and how you talk to people - of being yourself.

A great photograph needs no explanation; it functions by suggestion. There is no need to be explicit.