My original intention for this book club series was to post updates every other Saturday but I have not been able to live up to that standard so far in 2026. Part of the problem is that I have not read all that many books this year. Right now I am onto book 18.

“A photographic portrait is a picture of someone who knows [that] he is being photographed.”—Richard Avedon. This quote demonstrates that the late Richard Avedon was not only was a genius behind the camera but was perceptive about his photographs and what they represented.

If there’s a chance that in 100 year’s time there will be just one person who will look at my work and be touched by it, then I must continue to create art for that person.—Yayoi Kusama.

One of the things I like to do to get myself out of a rut is to shoot some photographs in monochrome, especially portraits. It doesn’t have to be all of the images that I’ll make during a session; maybe just a few to, you know. see what happens.

When looking at some of the glamour and boudoir portraits I post on Instagram, my friend Barry Staver often mentions that some of them have my trademark high-key look. But I also shoot low-key portraits too.