When I had my New York studio, I photographed models for assignments, but also did much test shooting on the side to develop my personal style and try out new techniques (an excuse for spending time photographing "beautiful people" as a necessary activity to refine one's professional skills). This became all the more important during my teaching career at Fashion Institute of Technology, to show students that their professor could actually do the work and not just talk about it. When I moved to the semi-rural part of northwest New Jersey, I did a lot of location shooting, using nature's everchanging lighting qualities blended with an endless choice of fantastic backgrounds. The models took home unique samples for their fashion and glamour portfolios and I had new concepts and techniques to pass along to my students. Here are descriptions of some photo shoots.

I used mirrors as a frame for the models, carrying them on location to become a unique visual point in my compositions. A friend was a member of a prominent northern New Jersey farming family. She got me permission to bring my students to shoot photographs on the lands of the family's cattle ranch, the largest one in the northeast United States. Maggie was the New York City model who learned quickly how to leap over cowpies.We set up the mirror in a field, Maggie posed in a chair and we started shooting. In a matter of minutes the local cow populace came to check out these strange visitors.

Juanetta and Danielle were the models who trekked with me to the Flatbrook area of Sussex County to make this photo, again with a framed mirror as the central point of attention. A good way to describe this shooting style is a strong, full-frame composition with enigmatic potential, caused by the paths of vision from the models' eyes. (What's the professor talking about?)

This is Michelle. We shot in a wooded area by a quiet lakeside in soft afternoon lighting. I used a diffused 24mm wide-angle lens (16mm in modern digital focal lengths) to work close to Michelle while its optical perspective kept her prominent to the receding background. For mood, she was directed to sensuously caress the birch tree.

In the same location, a high viewpoint of Michelle reclining in a net hammock made this soft focus photo work well. The 24mm wideangle lens elegantly elongated her figure and the surrounding background. I stood on a ladder, surrounded by reflectors, to get this shot. Although it may look like we had a great time, there was much labor spent in doing this photograph.