I was born in the
Bronx, N.Y., in 1972. My father was a photographer, and
I became fascinated with his work at a young age. I remember
when he would ask me to take pictures of the family
and I would try to make them pose like old Hollywood
starlets. My childhood was pretty perfect.
Unfortunately, I was not informed about safe sex, and in
1986 at the age of 14, I became infected with HIV from
my first sexual experience.
Many of the young
people I came out with in New York City's gay scene
in the late '80s now exist only in
memory--AIDS took them away from me. Over the
years HIV has made me think about how I wanted to be
remembered. After graduating from Harvey Milk High School, I
decided to embark on a career in photography and the
arts.
In 1991 I began
to work for QW magazine, where I met David
LaChapelle. With David, I learned to go forward and take
chances with my creative mind. Determined more than
ever to make art, I began to live through photography.
Realizing that I was losing many of my friends before
they reached adulthood, I began photographing them as they
moved through my life. Drag queens, butches, gay boys,
butch queens, and hustlers were treated like Hollywood
stars through my lens.
After I attended
the School of Visual Arts, my work was featured in many
publications, including Vibe, Out, and The New
York Times.
I now teach
black-and-white photography at the Hetrick-Martin Institute,
home of the Harvey Milk High School. I tell my students what
AIDS was like in the '80s and early
'90s. I always tell them to imagine everyone
they know dead. It helps them understand a little about life
and gives them a clear picture about what they need to
do to be positive about life and remain HIV-negative.
I give these kids
the opportunity to express themselves with a
camera--the same opportunity my father provided
me. Some of them don't have a real family, and
Hetrick-Martin feels like home. It's amazing what a
photograph can reveal to teenagers about themselves. I see
kids come in as if they're lost children and
watch them bloom into beautiful teenagers filled with
joy and life. This is my goal.