I was hired over the phone while the art director was literally in a helicopter shooting the project with another photographer. A week later, I was sent to New Orleans to fly 150 miles over the Gulf of Mexico by helicopter and land on the world's largest ship. We did countless fly-bys, often dipping below the oncoming bow and quickly pulling up while ship's bridge surged beneath us. After landing on the deck, I got more shots of the crew and a pilot tug before heading home.

After showing the film to the client, I was hired to go to Spain and charter a helicopter to catch the ship while it passed through the Straits of Gibraltar. I was picked up at sunrise from a nearby rooftop and we flew over the Straits with nearby Morocco off my left shoulder as I shot.

I later flew to Greece to catch a helicopter to Crete for a sunrise shoot the next morning. Despite the 40 knot winds, we were so close to the ship that my feet were wet from the sea spray while my legs dangled out the open door. We then landed on the deck to shoot more film before returning to Athens.

A month later, the art director and I flew to the Samsung Shipyard in South Korea to photograph the client’s last 2 ships being built. Traveling with 300 pounds of equipment, we also brought customized hard hats and white jumpsuits for the crew. With just 2 days to shoot and full access to the shipyard with a technical advisor/ interpreter, we used a golf cart to keep up with the tight deadline.

"We need a female rock climber who already uses our product... oh, we'll need a female marine archeologist, too."

I had to find and photograph both a female rock climber and a marine archeologist who not only wore contacts but was already using the client’s product. A stunt woman's association in LA recommended a champion rock climber who also worked in film.

Lori recommended Red Rocks, just outside of Las Vegas, and she hired two stuntmen to help with the climbing. We scouted all morning until we found the perfect ledge 300 feet above the ground for her to hang from. During the shoot, we were all tied together for counterweights. She was even able to change wardrobe behind a bed sheet by lowering her to a small ledge below.

The scuba diver ad had its own complications because I had dived a dozen times but had never shot underwater. Bob Ballard (of Titanic fame) found a female marine archeologist who recommended the Cayman Islands. I hired an ex-Navy Seal as an assistant/technical advisor who owned 1 of only 10 underwater camera housings available for medium format film which I specifically chose for the double page spread.

We met on Grand Cayman Island to scout shipwrecks and resolve the technical problems; reloading film without decompression, using 5 foot wide strobe brackets and a flash meter - all underwater. We practiced on the beach with a plastic message board and simple sign language to communicate. During the shoot strong currents forced me to wear 40 pounds of weights and be tied down to the wreck itself - not the safest thing to do. Two hours later, I knew we had the shot.

"Does the hotel have a shovel I can borrow?"

We had just flown from London to Chicago to photograph executives walking along the river. When I woke up, it was incredibly cold with 18 inches of fresh snow, so I borrowed from a shovel from housekeeping to clear the busiest corner in Chicago for my clients to walk.

After an hour, I had cleared a 20 by 30 foot space. It continued to snow even harder while passersby complimented my civic pride. I had double parked to let my clients stay warm while I set up, but snow plows kept  piling the snow higher. I decided to stand in the open trunk while the tripod was set up in the snow. My fingers could barely function, so I put socks on my hands and ate chocolates that had been gift wrapped for Christmas.

Before the first roll was even finished, I was frozen. One of executives saw how cold my hands were and started loading film for me. The shoot became a group effort - an executive loading my camera while I remained standing in the trunk of our car trying to get my hands warm.

"Ever shoot a camel? Can you get some reindeer, too?"

I had already worked with the singing group "The Roches" when they hired me to work on their Christmas album. It was the middle of the summer, but they wanted a wintry scene with falling snow as they sang carols with a camel and some reindeer. I hired an animal trainer in New Jersey, rented a painted backdrop, and bought huge bags of fake snow.

The farm had an indoor riding ring where we spent most of the day building and lighting the set. We had hung the backdrop behind white bed sheets looking like piles of snow on the ground and fans to blow the snow in everyone's face. After the Roches arrived, we had them bundled up with winter coats and mittens, while the animals tried to act tame with the fake snow blowing everywhere. Everyone was singing carols at the top of their lungs while we kept shooting. It was over 100 degrees in the barn, so the crew was wearing shorts and T-shirts while the singers were dressed for Siberia; they started to wobble from the heat and the smell from the animals just about the same time the art director was positive we were done.

"Can you light a 747 with an extension cord?"

For an AeroLineas Argentinas ad, I needed to light the interior of a 747 at JFK. I was first told I could run my strobes off the main generators while the jet was at the gate. That morning, someone from security at JFK called me to clarify my intentions and advised me that the plane's electrical system ran on a different cycle but I could still use an extension cord while we shot in the First Class cabin.

Our plans changed after we arrived and I had to use a jet that was parked out on the tarmac and supply my own power. My generator had to remain on the ground next to my car while I ran extension cords up through the door that had to remain closed. It was a hot, humid day with no air conditioning while we lit the jet from the outside and with strobes taped and hidden within the interior cabin. The models were so hot in their business suits that we hid ice bags in their clothes. There was also a melting ice sculpture with fresh fruit that we also had to photograph while everyone looked like they were having a great time.