When I heard Vibe Magazine was folding, I was momentarily shocked. Then I realized I haven’t shot for them in years, but it did reflect the curtain closing tighter and tighter on my editorial career. George Pitts (former Director of Photography at Vibe) was one of the first few people to ever entertain me for a meeting. I had been sleeping on my friend’s couch in bedstuy for the summer and would hit the subway every day with at least 2 portfolios. Doors were being closed on me every other hour and I was tired of meeting no one, being broke, and dripping sweat. Then George gave me 10 minutes. I was nervous sitting on the black leather couch in the lobby. Vibe’s photographers were such a huge inspiration to me, especially Dan Winters and Dana Lixenberg. Dora Samosi led me down the stairs and everyone who could took the time to look at my work. It was my first portfolio and was full of my friends, all natural light.  I was so pleased to hear George say my pictures were soulful, and take the time to comment on nearly every image. That was all the juice I needed to keep on pounding the pavement. When I got back to the bay, he hired me to shoot Ledisi. It was August 2002 and my first editorial assignment from a NY publication. I was still working as a photo researcher at Wired Magazine and did the shoot on the weekend in their kitchen. The shoot validated me as a professional photographer and gave me the mojo to keep on keepin on. 

The assignment was to photograph the Twitter guys for the Time 100 issue. Despite the 80 mph winds on the roof shot, no catastrophes had in our 5 sets in one hour frenzy. And the fellas were more than lovely. We even spoke in 140 characters or less. Turn profile had to be reduced to “tofile” and other forms of reduction bred a new school form of internet patois, or netois if you will.  Packin up the gear to get some much needed grub. Elevator broken. Gotta come back in an hour. No way in hell we are taking all this gear down from the 4th floor. Cesar salad, glass of red, arrive back at location. P Diddy is in the building. P Diddy is in the elevator. Rob Diggah has no shame in her game. Feels like the good ole days of stalking at ksol.

Exsighting. Diddy even tweeted the pic for his nearly 1 million followers. Thanks for letting me get my paparazzi on. With much thanks to Alan, the elevator repair man / partner in crime, and Dawn with the magliner and undercover reporting.  

Hello ambient intimacy. Let’s do this…