Q: Where are you based?
A: My wife & I sold our house about four years ago and have been traveling around the US in a motorhome.
Q: How many years have you been a photographer?
A: I started in high school as a photographer on the Denham Springs High School yearbook and newspaper staffs and spent a summer working at the Denham Springs News as a darkroom technician and feature photographer. As a college student, I was part of Louisiana Tech University’s yearbook and newspaper photography department – even became the manager in 1986.
After college, I moved to Dallas, worked for a commercial photography group, then left photography altogether, then opened up a family and executive photography studio in Plano, TX. In 2006, I sold that business to Gittings and became a partial owner with Greg Lorfing and studio manager of Gittings Dallas. Greg and I decided to sell the Dallas studio to Rick Bettinger in 2014 and launched what is currently Gittings Global. It’s been a wild ride!
Q: What is the most interesting photoshoot/subject you’ve ever photographed?
A: Photography has opened doors to some incredible job opportunities. I have enjoyed photographing historical moments, like Ronald Reagan during a Baton Rouge campaign trip in the 80s, and Richard Nixon during a post-resignation Dallas visit. But, for me, seeing/photographing this beautiful country is what I would consider the most interesting.
Q: Do you ever shoot with a film camera?
A: Not currently but have exposed thousands of rolls of film “back in the day.”
Q: What is your favorite aspect of portrait photography?
A: It’s the challenge…walking into a space that you’re not familiar with, photographing someone that you’ve never met. You have a limited amount of time to get that person to trust you enough to let their true personality shine through in a photo. My greatest sense of accomplishment is when I’ve captured a portrait of someone that they truly love.
Q: When you are not creating portraits for work, what kind of photography do you enjoy?
A: Travel photography…Landscapes
Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?
A: Yosemite