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So, who is this Bruce Caines guy? Besides being a photographer and director, I am one of the few actual native New Yorkers left on the planet. (Most of my comrades have escaped to Los Angeles.)

After studying photography at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and managing the studios of several well known photographers, I initiated my career as a photographer shooting fashion. Editorial portraits were a way to get my foot in the door with some of the fashion publications, but I quickly gravitated to capturing the personalities in front of my camera rather than the clothing and cosmetics. Since then I have photographed singers, and socialites, scientists, and sex-workers. I became so satisfied photographing real people with real human stories that I created and published a photo essay about them titled Our Common Ground. My client lists has included Sony Music/Columbia Records, Spin, Merril Lynch, U.S. Army, L.A. Style, Sassy and Essence Magazine.

Among my strongest assets, my clients tell me, is the ability to make people who hate being photographed, relax and be themselves. Since I'm not fond of being in front of the camera myself, I know where they are coming from.

I still enjoy working with models, but now my work is more often a collaborative, personal project, rather than a "sell-this-dress" job. When I am shooting fashion or beauty, it is often for projects like CTFA Foundation's Look Good/Feel Better program. LGFB offers free workshops to women dealing with the appearance related side effects of cancer treatment. The simple idea is that if you look more like yourself while dealing with your illness, your self-esteem rises and aids in the healing process. This is one of my favorite clients.

These days I am spending much more time directing television, film, and music videos. I am currently a director for Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues. The multi-talented smarty-pants, Steve Burns (who is not dead), and I just completed a comedic short. Fresh from the audio mix, Breaking Up will be premiering soon. Check back for details... I am currently involved in development of two screenplays. One is a comedy penned by the brilliant and quirky Richard Harland Smith. The second, a "mockumentary," written by the less quirky but equally brilliant Adam Peltzman. Contact me to obtain my reel or to inquire about film or video projects.

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Check out Our Common Ground--Portraits of Blacks Changing the Face of America (Crown Publishers), my five year photo essay odyssey about positive Black role models in America. You can click here to order Our Common Ground through Amazon Books.

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Here's a link to Smithsonian Magazine's web site. Check out some of my images from a feature story done a while ago (it's still in their archive) about the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra.