The white Mute Swans from this series were captured on my first roll of film as a college photography student in 1978. The assignment was simple; go out and shoot a roll of film for an open class review. The first thought that came to mind was to ask two coeds from an adjacent dorm to model for my first ever high-fashion photo shoot! Well, that quickly became a portrait session at a small lake within the city park across the street. Nearing the end of our session I suggested to my ‘models’ that we change the perspective and they traverse around the lake for the remaining eight exposures on my roll. It was then that these three beautiful ‘supermodels’ gracefully swam up. I hope the girls enjoyed the exercise.

Black Knight was photographed in Florida a couple of decades later. It was another ‘meant to be moment’ as this magnificent beauty presented itself. I knew on first sight that the stature and grace of this large waterbird would be a wonderful compliment to this series.

*My Swan holds a special place as the first collectible print produced from the large-format printer I acquired in 2004, in anticipation of my debut exhibition that November. It was also the first edition I personally signed and numbered, marking a tribute to my early work—coming from the very first roll of film I shot as a college student. In many ways, it symbolizes the start of my journey and has since become the most sought-after piece in my extensive collection. As an unexpected honor, the late, great pop artist Robert Rauschenberg included a limited-edition of My Swan to his private collection in 2006.  There is a story.