How I got started with photography

The majority of my twenties were spent traveling around in bands, playing in dive bars and small clubs. I often found myself sleeping on the floor of a stranger's apartment while on tour with my band. My life as a musician is what ultimately led me to photography. The lifestyle was such a blur that photography became a portal to our otherwise missed experiences, both proof that life did, in fact, happen — and also proof that we definitely were not rockstars. I’m honored to say I’ve contributed musically to over ten albums, including playing upright bass on a handful of songs with Tom Waits. I still love music and I take piano lessons every couple weeks to spice up my creativity and to help me find moments of calm in this complicated world.

Family

My wife Renée and I met in fourth grade at a small elementary school in Occidental, California. 22 years later we got married in that same small town, and I gladly took her last name. A few years ago, we welcomed our daughter, Luca, into this world — bringing unparalleled magic and wonder to our lives.

My father is another important fixture in my life. He passed away six months after our wedding, when cancer popped up out of nowhere. I had no idea how meaningful the picture below of the two of us on my wedding day would become just months later.