[3] He earned a degree in illustration in 1969 from the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts,[4] but attributes his direction as a photographer to mentor Donald Greenhaus rather than to formal studies.
[5] In 1982–83 he was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, studying political science and urban affairs at the Kennedy School of Government.
[3][6] While working for the San Francisco Examiner, he was a runner-up for the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for documentation of life in a public housing project.
[6] He also covered the 1986 Haiti coup against "Baby Doc" Duvalier, the 1989 U.S. military action in Panama, and unrest in Zaire in 1992,[8] as well as the Million Man March and African-American life in the US.
[6] His book Black in America, which also includes poetry by Reed, was published in 1997; several photographs from that project have been recognized in juried shows and exhibitions.