[4] At age 12, he began to photograph circus freaks and dilapidated buildings around Coney Island in New York City, where he grew up.

He studied painting at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York,[1] earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1962.

He observed many secluded tribes and cultures and was fascinated by the roles played by the shaman of the different groups of people.

Tress spent the spring and summer of 1964 in San Francisco, documenting the 1964 Republican National Convention that nominated Barry Goldwater, civil rights demonstrations at segregated car dealerships on Van Ness Avenue, and The Beatles' 1964 world tour.

[3] Tress took over 900 photographs that were later shelved until 2009 when he rediscovered a stack of vintage prints while organising his sister's estate after her death.