About Me
My Work
If you look at my pictures you'll see that I am driven by story, color and graphic power. My work will grab you, hold you, and leave you wanting to see more.
I've been traveling the world for many years.About 40, to be exact. I've photographed in Asia, Europe and -- of course - the United States.
Since I live, work and play in New Orleans, LaskowitzPictures is about one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Maybe the world. As Bob Dylan once said, "There are a lot of places I like, but I like New Orleans better."
I am driven by a couple of phrases.
" Don't take the picture. Let the picture take you."
" When the weather turns bad, the pictures get good."
"The work is the prayer."
Taken together, these phrase mean that I work from the inside, but am driven by something external. Something a little bigger than me. Call it whatever you'd like. I usually use the word nature.
Biography
Although I've studied and worked at a number of things, there isn't a time that I remember not taking pictures. Somewhere in my family pictures, is a picture of me at about five years old, holding some kind of Kodak box camera.
After a couple of fits and starts, I studied photojournalism at San Jose State University and Ohio University. At the time, both schools were are the top of their games. Later I studied a little more after I moved to New Orleans. I did that just to learn a bit more. I hold degrees from Loyola New Orleans and the University of New Orleans.
My first career jobs where at newspapers and wire services, with stops in the New River Valley of Virginia, The Winston-Salem Journal & Sentinel, UPI, The Register of Orange County, The San Diego Union and the Spokane Spokesman-Review.
I made a career change. I joined the staff of Westlight, a photo agency based in Los Angeles, and later, The Image Bank -- owned by Eastman Kodak.
My staff positions starting with the Orange County Register were generally management. I was a picture editor, a director of photography, a publishing director and I managed our Asian franchises as part of my work for TIB.
I made another career change. After many years of looking at other photographers work, and often thinking "where is this picture, where is that picture," I made a giant leap and founded LaskowitzPictures.
I've worked for a lot of great clients. A short, selected list follows:
Microsoft Magnavox Budweiser Red Stripe Beer
Crown Royal Chivas Regal Warner Brothers Capital Records
Blue Note Records National Geographic Traveller
National Geographic Magazine Time - Life Newsweek
Lonely Planet Guide Books Lonely Planet Trade Books
Getty Images Eater Web MD