This essay was originally featured in ISSUE 6, VOLUME 3 - NUDE + NAKED + MORE.

Now tell me, what would be your advice to someone starting out? To get noticed, to get into the business. And to develop their work and eye.

Ok, there is practical good advice, which I am probably less good at, because there are so many different ways now. Now, back when we did it, you had to take a group of pictures, get a portfolio, take it to magazines, hope and pray, wear mismatched socks, do whatever you could. It’s funny, I’ll still call a photo-editor at a magazine to check in on something, but who talks on the phone anymore? But every now and then I’ll have to pick up the phone, and I’ll call a photo-editor about something, and it’ll say “Book Drop off Day”, and I’ll go “What? They still have that shit? Book drop off day?”. So, practical advice? Be in New York City, or in a place where you can have access to meeting people. I met a young photographer, and an editor I worked with called, and asked if I could meet with this friend of a friend, this young photographer. And in fact, his work was incredible, and he was already published in magazines. I thought that he was doing just what he should be doing: meeting people, and just being open and out there.

So how many photographers did you work for?

Avedon, and Bruce (Weber) a couple of times

I’m almost identical like that. I worked for Bill (King) and Bruce and with Michelle Compte , who is a really dear friend now, and Eric Boman.

I know, it’s like we were lucky like that

Bill was genius on the business side of it. He taught me so much about the business side of it, and also where he wanted to impart his creative knowledge, which was very sweet, because you know Bill could be difficult, and that sweet side of him he didn’t show often. But I learned so much of the business side from Bill, that and his death left me so out of whack, that I really credit Bruce, he brought me back by showing me, how taking pictures could be a thing of joy, and not just a job, and I do think Bruce approaches it like that. It’s so personal and it does have to feed that creative side of him. Bill’s was just different, he was very good at something and wanted to make money, he was a genius at what he did. And it’s so sad that his legacy is lost.

Stewart Shining, “Eian”, 2013. Eian Scully (Soul Artist Management)

Bruce and Bill’s styles were very different.

What a balance, they were very Yin and Yang.

When you were working with Bill, did he influence your photos? Because I can see Bruce in your work, but I didn’t see Bill in your work.

Interesting! I feel more Bill in some of my work. When I was taking pictures and working for Bill, I was too young, and I was probably influenced by your pictures, because Bill’s style was white background, and I didn’t have access to that, it was such a specific thing.

Do you feel that Parsons really helped you in your photography, or do you think you gained more being an assistant?

Ok, really good question. Three people at Parsons really changed my life: Marcia Lippman, Lillian Bassman, and Art Kane. Those three people who were three of my professors, changed my life. Had I not been at Parsons, that wouldn’t have happened. Another great thing about Parsons was being together with like minded young people, and having New York City as our campus. We could avail ourselves of and were exposed to so much, and it gave me a creative vocabulary, and we were set free and encouraged to enrich and liberate our minds… Lillian and Marcia really pushed us. Lillian was a tough teacher.She would walk in and say “What’s this shit? This is what you’re showing me? You’re in art school, you’re young… what is this? The theme was ‘bag people,’ and you come in and show me a picture of a homeless person? I don’t understand!” And we would sit there and say “What the fuck is she talking about?”