Hugh Hamilton

LIFE photographer, PEOPLE's first photo editor, author of some great books on photography, including Celebrating The Negative and the wonderful Life Photographers: What They Saw. His daughter Anna was my wife's college room mate so I have met John a few times now, and he agreed last year to have a look at my work. He was silent as he went through both my portfolios and then he said he loved my portraits, he liked the warmth and intimacy in them. The other folio, with my dance and nude work, he looked up from and said, this I can live without. It just leaves me cold. Photographers were always bringing nudes in to show us at PEOPLE as if we were supposed to get excited by them. I like your portraits much better.

And then I asked if I could take his picture. Where? His eyebrows raised. Just over by the window I said.

My friends Michelle and Aimee have gone into business making wonderful cookies and cakes.

I don't usually shoot food but they made me an offer too good to refuse. I may have to buy some new clothes soon. Larger ones.

www.plumeriafinecookies.com is the website.

Dallas Raines, of ABC7 here in Los Angeles....this was shot months ago but the magazine sat on it for ages. I wanted to smother him in a cloud of bubbles but his publicist would have none of it. Probably wise.