Impromptu portrait session with Danny Clinch.

In all my years of traveling through the state of New Jersey, I had never visited Asbury Park. I was a modest Springsteen fan, but not enough to consider a pilgrimage.  My summers as a child were spent along the shore in Brigantine, but we never travelled very far up north along the coast. Seaside Heights was probably as far as I got. And truthfully, I’m not much of a beach guy (although the film about Nick Cave has piqued my interest in visiting Brighton, England someday.)

In recent years, Asbury Park has gone through a resurgence and become a haven for artists, investors, creatives and musicians, including my friend Tara Dente. (You can see a portrait session I did with Tara here.) In short, it has gone through a serious revival of fortunes, and with that in mind, I decided to make a quick trip on my way to Philadelphia on New Years Eve. While I wanted to see the town, my primary interest was in visiting legendary photographer Danny Clinch’s Transparent Clinch Gallery  located in the heart of the downtown area. I’ve admired his work for years, and he, along with Gregory Heisler, Anton Corbijn, and Antonin Kratochvil, are my biggest photographic inspirations. 

Danny happened to be in the gallery that day, and after touring the place, I asked if he would let me take a few portraits. He was very kind and accommodating, and I managed to get some shots on both film and digital. Danny has a great look, and truthfully, he makes it easy to take a good portrait. 

I am grateful to both Danny and Tina at the gallery for being so generous with their time. It was a genuine thrill for me to be there, and I look forward to returning in the spring, once the pandemic has hopefully eased. 

Images shot on a Leica Q and a Konica Hexar 35mm film camera. Developed at In-A-Flash in Springfield, Mass, and scanned under beer related circumstances at the home offices.