Every person has a story to tell. When I make a portrait, I try to convey as much information about that person as possible in one photograph, with a minimum of direction on my part, letting people present themselves as they would like to be seen. Sometimes, though not always, the viewer is thus able to see something of themselves in the photograph of another person, the common thread of humanness we all share on some level or another. When that occurs, I believe I have made a successful portrait.