Growing up in Gorst, Washington in the '80s, Eric's small-town aspirations were like many you often hear from the skateboard, hip hop or punk rock scene. He built a 7-foot mini ramp in his backyard barn, and his dream was to meet as many new people that would come through, see as much cool stuff as possible, and one day move out of his small town to where it all came from and eventually travel the world. He would choose California. And he would record it all with a camera.
As life would have it, some other events would intertwine within this simple plan. He had his first daughter Pasha, when he was 19 years-old. Of course, he took countless photos of Pasha and continued to shoot skateboarding on the side, though he would change his focus immediately and take on work as a graphic designer at a local newspaper in Bremerton, WA (where years earlier he had been a paper carrier). At the Sun he learned to use the leading design programs of that era as well as the traditions of printing. He had access to everything and learned the ins and outs of the print industry pretty quick. Always wanting to get back to photography, he continued to move around, working at various newspapers and magazines in Washington, and even working for some in California for a short time always hoping to switch from the design/production side to editorial. During this period his second daughter, Danica, was born.
Eric ended up in California permanently, and when he finally started earning enough money to live off his photos, they were of cars, not skateboarders or musicians. That wasn’t any less of a young boy's dream--for the better part of 4 years he found himself driving and taking pictures of Ferraris, Maseratis, Alfa Romeos and other high-end European automobiles. After the death of many print publications in '08 he, like many freelance photographers, started focusing more on his skills at creating and perfecting an image with retouching work.
Eric currently lives in a loft in Long Beach, CA, where he shoots photos in his home studio of anyone and anything that comes through. He loves to spend endless amounts of time involved with people who are passionate about their work, and Eric is down for any project as long as that driving force is there. And now, instead of a homemade ramp and Washington Evergreens in the backyard, Eric built a cedar box on his patio, where you'll find vegetables soaking up the California sun.
