This is a Roman face.

To the left, something reminiscent of Picasso. To right, the face becomes lines that remind me of the decorative touches of Frank Lloyd Wright. It makes for an interesting combination.

When I work on a picture like this, I don't have a specific goal in mind and many times the end result is a surprise. Along the way, I'll try many variations, and many branches down different paths. And I keep all of the intermediate results for possible experimentation in the future.

I don't normally keep notes while I'm working, so the exact process for a picture like this is lost, and it probably can't be duplicated exactly. It's partly from laziness, and also an unwillingness to accumulate a giant pile of notes.

But there's a third, and even stronger reason. When I do an effect like this, I will just use it on one or two pictures, then move on. I don't want to be known for a particular special effect or for a particular series of pictures. I don't want to be typed, or to be known for a particular style. It's like an actor who became famous for a particular role or TV series, then has trouble finding work after that because they've been typed by their own success.

Another photographer once accused me of not having a distinctive style to my work. Although he meant it as a criticism, I took it as a compliment.