In a lot of ways I look at these old photos, and I don't know if I would have been able to communicate with these people on this level if I didn't have a camera. I think I would still be so shy.

I was pretty Irish Catholic Jersey, the middle of the line.

When I moved to New York, I was still in the closet.

I'm not going to hide behind anything.

It's weird being a photographer because you really have to divorce yourself from the image.

Growing up, my room was covered in posters. I was like, "I want to make posters."

My mom had seven kids in seven years, and then she had me 11 years later. So when I was born, my oldest brother was 18. And my youngest brother was 11. By the time I was 7 or 8, everyone had moved out. I went from being with ten people all the time to being an only child. It really freaked me out.