Watching those two ad men, Darrin Stephens and Larry Tate, create campaigns and work their
magic on prime time TV set me on the quest to break into the gilded world of advertising.

After picking up my first camera at the age of eight, I was shutter struck and devoted to viewing
life through and enhancing it with a lens. Departing chilly New England to study photography in
sun-kissed Santa Barbara was the next step. Following graduation I moved to Hollywood where
advertising, and a stint as an agent in the children's division of Ford Models, kept me for 13 years.
Since 1996, I've lived in San Diego, working as a studio photographer for a well known
men's clothing catalog.

My signature portrait style is cinematic: reflecting the influence of the silver-screen’s
drama and glamour, and their experimentation with light and shadow.

I'm looking forward to photographing your special event.

—Deborah J. Shields