I find biographies strange to write and harder to commit to. Even now I am making amendments and sounding-out changes: life, the incomplete masterpiece no? Often I find one’s attempt to encapsulate just that in a paragraph or a page usually leaves me feeling cold; like I've just read the ingredients to a box of cereal. The best biography I've read thus far is Nadav Kander's. I don't think I'm quite ready to go to that length but I will attempt a tribute!

I was born in South Orange, New Jersey to very talented and loving parents. My father, Solomon Motola is a pharmaceutical chemist with a PhD (yes…he makes drugs…but responsibly…sadly he never showed me how to make LSD25 though I did ask). My mother was a multi-lingual foreign language teacher when I was very young. She went back to school when I was still wetting the bed and is now a social worker specifically engaged with the teenage populations in North American schools (god give her strength). Both my parents were serious musicians as youths, but decided instead to pursue more ‘stable’ careers and so I probably lived a fairly idyllic life up until the age of six or so. I fondly recall the wisdom and love of Chet Baker and Beethoven often present in the rooms of my many homes, and I am always surprised when I hear a phrase in a symphony or a trumpet piece that I can complete by memory.

I grew up in many houses filled with music and moved from the age of six every two years. I eventually landed in Florida (Broward County) where I lived for ten years, seven consecutive. During which time I went to the University of Miami. In "Uni" (as the Brits call it!) I studied Motion Pictures and Psychology (because they made us major in a 'real' subject if we were taking anything in the communications department). Thankfully. Around the middle of my freshman year, I decided I wanted to study cinematography. There were no such courses, so I enrolled in a still photography course in the Art department. After I went to Paris for the first time, I came back to my sophomore year and the start of my first photography course with many rolls of film to develop. I was hooked immediately.

Film has been something I've done to support my photography over the years, in that I've been an editor, post-supervisor, lecturer, teacher, and all around tech-girl. I imagine I will return to film, my original inspiration, though I'm not sure which 'form' I'll incarnate, but for now I like the way stills slow things down and don't ask for much of your time. They're engaging, yet passing comments on life that passes us all too quickly, and at best are epiphanies, and at worst exploitative ocular masturbation. Though who doesn't indulge in a little masturbation from time to time? I suppose its normal for us mortals so no need to go off the rails too much about it.

I am mostly interested in the human experience. I am fascinated by languages and hope to learn as many as I possibly can. This may seem an unusual ambition for an American, but lets hope my interest serve as positive diplomatic relations, rather than an oddity. But I ask why should the stereotype continue to be so? Its true that America is a very isolated place 'protected' if not suffocated by its media/government/media...dare I say ignorance and lack of desire to dispell it? But Americans, those that I know, are amazing human beings. Perhaps it’s not the best time in the world to be an American, but perhaps it is. Perhaps it’s more important now than ever as an American to extend your heart and mind outward, grow, learn and share. Please remember Hollywood represents a terribly small segment of our minds and hearts, though at times it is touchingly representative, so often it is not. It is fantasy and generalization. Just like not all British people refuse to bathe and change their clothes once a week at best, and have bad teeth; wait, or is that the French? Never mind.

I am looking forward to embracing my many interests and growing as each area enriches the other. Music is and has always been my first love, and as I move forward in photography, I find I have more energy and understanding to put towards the music I make with my friends. I say do what ever makes you happy, but definitely you owe it to yourself to master at least one thing. The lessons you will learn will serve you on future journeys. We live in a world still suffering a major hangover from the industrial revolution. We are taught to be wageworkers on the assembly line of life, and those of us who are blessed with talents to embrace many activities, are to do so as soon as we can and inspire the rest of us to reach our own potentials.

I have always believed in the mentor/apprentice relationship and longed for teachers. Without teachers, we wouldn’t know shit. I went to work with Annie Leibovitz after I graduated from university and moved to New York City. It was an eye opening experience. Since that time, I have had the continued good fortune to work with some amazing people and I look forward to meeting more in the future. I would just like to be grateful for a moment to them some of them for all they have taught me, good and bad: Alastair Thain, Ani Difranco, Annie Leibovitz, Marc Baptiste, Matthew Benson, Jill Furmanovsky, Storm Thorgerson, Ray Gillon, Patrick Scaffetti, Philippa Goslett, Arash Amel, Nick Roylance, Roger Guertin, Costa Manos, Joyce Tennyson, Tami Reiker, Michael Yanovich, Lawrence Impey, James Cohen, Danny Ameri, Danny Ray, Adam West, and Josh Hannan. There. That is most of them. Definitely not all.

I currently live and work in London (England) as an editor, teacher, practicing (all the 'other' time) artist/photographer and musician. I recently came up with an interesting turn of phrase which I think in many ways sums up a most poignant revelation about British Culture compared with American Culture, and it just so happens to centre around a popular hobby: DRINKING, and I don’t mean water. Can I quote myself? Well here I go and you can too: “In America they assume something's wrong if you reach for a drink. In England they assume something's wrong if you don't.” If you have no idea what I mean, then you should try spending a “dry” holiday season in London. It’s most "interesting". And I mean that in the English sense.