IN FOCUS

"I love that I can be a small part of the faces featured here, apart of their journey through this life. It's about being apart of something so much bigger than ourselves and each person's willingness to take part in this, it's truly humbling and wonderful. I only hope that the work we have all created together is something that they are proud of. As proud as I am." - Andre Steven Rutgersen

Ian C. - New York, NY 1999 - ALL IMAGES DIGITALLY RESTORED 2026 - Featured in "EXHIBITION" @blurb.com

Malcom P. - Ocala, Florida 2025

Landon W. - The W Hotel - New York, NY - Early 2003

Patrick D. - New York, NY 2010 - ALL IMAGES DIGITALLY RESTORED 2026

This image featured in the photography book "EXHIBITION" at Blurb.com

RYDER - Ocala, Florida 2026

Emmanuel F. Long Island, NY 2024 - Handsome, handsome, handsome! One of the most handsome men I had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know. - All Images featured in the photography book "EXHIBITION" @blurbbooks

Carlos "CARLO" Torres - New York, NY 2002 - ALL DIGITALLY RESTORED 2026 - He absolutley loved being in front of the camera. His masculinity and swagger were nothing short of fun to capture. - All Images featured in the photography book "EXHIBITION" @blurbbooks

Diego S. - ALL IMAGES DIGITALLY RESTORED - 2025 Queens, NY 2007

Paulie Bagpipes Long Island, NY 2022 - It's difficult to not play favorites with him. He was the first person I'd photographed formally in quite some time and as witnessed here he did not disappoint.

Blanca Martinez New York, NY 1991 - DIGITALLTY RESTORED - She was the first beauty, the first face I had ever fallen for. - Some Images featured in the photography book "EXHIBITION" @blurbbooks

Reynaldo D. - Ocala Florida 2025

November 2025

NICOLAS (Sea Plane Pilot) Vermont North Hero Lake Champlain June 2010 - All Images featured in the photography book "EXHIBITION" @blurbbooks

"IRELAND"

Daniel G. - Ocala Florida 2025 - Some Images featured in the photography book "EXHIBITION" @blurbbooks

JASON - Argyle Lake Babylon Village Long Island, NY 2023 - All Images featured in "EXHIBITION"

Timothy C. 2012 - ALL IMAGES DIGITALLY RESTORED AND COLORIZED 2026 - He'll never admit that he enjoys being photographed but the proof is quite clear. (laughing) - Some Images featured in the photography book "EXHIBITION" @blurbbooks

I told her countless times "You can be, should be a model or be in the movies!" Her response I can never forget. "Why?!" (laughing) - Nicole

Nicole "NIKKI" P. Long Beach Long Island, NY 2010 - ALL IMAGES DIGITALLY RESTORED 2026 - Some Images featured in the photography book "EXHIBITION" @blurbbooks

She's magic without tricks or make-up. She's a gauzy grenade.

2012 Long Beach, Long Island, NY - We kept in touch and a couple of years later we were at it again. I found her to be even more breathtaking, more mature, more assure of her self, less worried about what everyone else thought, but still a speed demon behind the wheeel of her car.

Gideon J. Long Island, NY 2022 - He was a guy I met by happenstance. His way of talking and moving, I knew I had to photograph him and I knew he wouldn’t say no. - Images featured in the photography book "EXHIBITION" @blurbbooks

Rory H. "BIG RED" - Babylon Village, Long Island NY - Yet another strong face that I just couldn't resist. - All Images featured in the photography book "EXHIBITION" @blurbbooks

Georg R. - New York, NY Early 2000's - DIGITALLY RESTORED - When you have a camera with your friends who are nothing more than a bad influence anything is possible. - All Images featured in the photography book "EXHIBITION" @blurbbooks

Sarah J. ALL IMAGES DIGITALLY RESTORED Harlem New York, NY 2003 - Some images featured in "EXHIBITION" @blurbbooks - We met, I loved her face immediately and knew I would have to take her photograph. Some time after meeting I would ask her and she agreed, "A couple". Of course I would take more than a couple to her dismay but she let me get away with it. Some years ago I would find only two from the this day and thought the others lost.

In 2022 I would come across these lost images but a few more years would go by until I would have the technology to clean them up from so many years and so many travels. Now she she is here shinning once again in her glory. This day she would pose for me in her apartment in front of her window during sunset. This day oh so long ago God's hand touched us both.

Some Images featured in the photography book "EXHIBITION" @blurbbooks

Mike M. 2009 New York, NY - *These Images Digitally Restored* - Without a doubt these are some of my very favorite photos taken during this time in I spent in New York City. I didn’t realize way back that what I was doing is what I’m supposed to be doing. Finding these moments from so long ago, I was really on to something. (laughing)

I had no concept of composing a scene for anyone I photographed back then. I just wanted their face, smile, laugh, tears. I was after it all. I still am.

GLAMOUR PREFERRED - She completely embraced the dramatic and insanity of it all. I've never been so terrified and excited at the same time. What made this an experience was she didn’t care about likes, hits or the ‘Algorithm’. She really loved being a total question mark. - Some Images featured in the photography book "EXHIBITION" @blurbbooks

GLAMOUR PREFERRED - MODEL - “The actress Veronica Lake, you never see her face really in some of those old studio photos, she’s who I thought of for all of these. I love the idea of playing ‘Peek-A-Boo’.” - MODEL / Renee

I love doing these kinds of shoots, glamourous, beautiful, mystifying and pure femininity at it's best.

“I loved the whole idea of being mystery. (laughing) There’s no mystery anymore. We put all of who we are out there. I’m definitely guilty of it. That’s why this completely appeals to me. It’s more fun being a riddle. Wearing these dfferent mask, the shadowing, the hair. I wish I could really be her. All day everyday. Being her, it’s like wearing a white hat, always in costume.” - RENEE

I love her curves and I love her femininity and I love her dedication to this character and I love her sensuality even when she wasn’t trying. She became another woman my camera and I fell in love with.

David Rafferty Jr. Comstock Michigan - Photos taken between 2023 and 2025

It's his vulnerability that I found myself touched by. He took a chance and came to terms with his beauty. At least what I saw as beauty. I just wanted to touch his beard and run my fingers through his hair. Repeatedly. I actually really fell in love with him, his honesty. everything. I think that's the key to portrait photography.

Heavier bearded, his soft charm something I'm grateful to have captured. As serious as he can look and be, what I discovered is a compassion. A delicacy that isn't afraid to be seen. Underneath his thick mane and invitingly scruffy beard there is a wonderous smile. I saw what I wanted and hit the shutter. I loved the whole thing. Him, me and my camera.

Marc Continued - OUTTAKES 2020 - "I didn’t and don’t wanna be 25 forever. I feel like I am even though the packaging isn’t. It’s been through a lot. I put it through a lot but who hasn’t right? It’s been decades since I’ve had my photo taken like this and I’m glad you dragged me kicking and screaming to do this.

I’m not a pretty boy anymore but glad I was. I’m also glad I’m not anymore. The one thing that I just can't shake and honestly...never have really wanted to. I'm a bad boy. ” (Laughing)

"I really really like these. I like 'em because they're simple and kinda funny. (laughing) If it weren't for the big guy I don't know what would have happened to me. Because of the big guy I do know what happneded to me, that's why I'm here. That make sense?" - David

Coreyanne Armstrong - Portland, Connecticut 2025

I'd go anywhere to photograph her. She's masterminded her piping career better than some bands I've met. She's continued to up the ante and seems she'll never come down off the cloud she exist on.

She's whip smart, witty, ambitious and very strategic. She's always known how to harness her abilities as a top notch piper and as a woman never letting anyone weaponize her feminine attributes against her.

Coreyanne Armstrong & Husband Bob Hunter Portland, Connecticut 2025

Not just a husband and wife, they are each others protector as well as each others biggest fan. The love of each others lives. At first glance they knew they were meant to journey together come what may. I would travel anywhere to photograph her. Meeting him it was an instant feeling of knowing I would make my way to him as well.

Traveling to their home, it was something out of a fairytale. Watching them together you can't help but know that they live in a world all their very own.

“To spend a life of endless bliss, just find who you love through true love’s kiss.” – Enchanted

Bob Hunter - Portland Connecticut 2025

John Henderson Long Island, NY 2019 - This image featured in the "BAGPIPES and DRUMS" - *Excerpt from and featured in the portrait photography book "BAGPIPES and DRUMS" 2023 Blurb Books "Wounded and real as the rest of us. He doesn't come across as a man that wears his heart on his sleeve, here though you can see his gentle melancholy."*

This Image featured in the photography book "Faces, Outtakes & A Few More Observations" 2021 - There was no hesitation from him when asked to take this pose. His masculinity not preventing his vulnerability from showing.

Babylon Village Long Island, NY 2024 - Thomas Donovan / thedonovanproject.com

“When you’re forced to stop and look, and you can’t look away then I’ve accomplished more than I set out to do.” - Andre Steven Rutgersen

Long island NY, 2023 - Evan and Meaghan, together at last! These Images featured In the photography book "Just A Few Adventures In Cameraland" 2024

I absolutely loved working with these two separately and knew that I wanted to work with them together. They came to the session and delivered. Cracking jokes, poking fun at one another as if there were brother and sister.

I of course stepped in and began cracking my own silly jokes making them both laugh. For me that was the best moment between all three of us.

"Youth In Revolt" - What I love about this is they could be two young people on the run in a high octane Independent movie.

"Reservation For Two" - An impromptu lunch to break the ice which as it turned out needed no breaking at all.

They both trusted me and it was a dream of mine to photograph them together. Both agreed when asked and the chemistry, seen here clearly. was something that the camera loved and devoured. They surpassed my expectations and are as young and exciting in person as they are here.

Brendan Gomez Long Island, NY 2020 - Some of the Images below are featured in the photograhy book "BAGPIPES and DRUMS" 2023 -

I liked him and knew he would be absolutely wonderful before the camera. It would be a couple of years later after our first meeting I would ask him to sit for me for the photography book I was working on and to my surprise he agreed. To be able to capture such a face was, and still is quite a coup.

This Image featured in the photography book "BAGPIPES and DRUMS" 2023

By far one of my favorite Images of him from this sitting. When I brought out the top hat he knew what I was going for. With a good laugh he took to it with unwary gusto.

Robert Barreca - Long Island, NY 2025 - Some images featured in "EXHIBITION" @blurbbooks

I'd taken his image many times over the years but nothing like the portrait sessions I've done before. It was only a matter of time before I would pluck up the courage to ask. Of course how I asked though, through a photograph. A few candid photographs of him taken some time ago. There’s so many stories, a lot of years lived looking at my camera lens. All of which deserve to be celebrated.

I really love these more semi-serious Images. Robert is of Italian decent and brings to mind the men of days from past who got things done in a certain way that back then would make most shudder. These days it takes more. Robert though is not that man, as far as I know. To this he would laugh.

As scared as I was to to ask him to pose for me over the years, when he agreed I knew that I would be grateful for anything he gave me. What I didn't expect was just how much he would give to my camera. Aside from the humor and smile there was his honesty humanity when talking and thinking about life and the enormous transitions happening. He would bounce back quickly but this moment I found to be one of the most touching.

What I love is that he doesn’t remind me of anyone else. Not another man alive. He, like everyone in my archive is so uniquely his own person. He’s a bit of a mystery to me which is why I absolutely had to have him before my lens.

He's one of the most methodical, humorous and sardonic people I've ever met. I wish I'd met him decades ago.

Robert Louis Roberts Jr. Long Island, NY - This Image taken in 2019 featured in the photography book "Faces, Outtakes & A Few More Observations" 2021. Some Images below taken also in 2019, featured below are featured in the photography book "BAGPIPES and DRUMS" 2023

We had two portrait sessions and each one he gave me fantastic Images with all his personality. Not only did he hit the mark of what I was looking for but went past the finish line and then some.

Patti Canon Jannetti Long Island, NY 2021 - Some of these images can be seen in the photography book "BAGPIPES and DRUMS" 2023

A Cannon's Blast! I asked her to play her drum and she said "Are you sure, it's pretty loud?" I said to go for it.

She made what we were doing so easy and pure joy. I handed her the bouquet of flowers and she lit up.

Johansen J. 2025 Long Island, NY - I found his face to be strong and seemingly having layers of one life after another. His face has secrets. I couldn't photograph him any other way. - Some images featured in "EXHIBITION" @blurbbooks