I made this environmental portrait of Dr. Robert Carlson, heart surgeon, for an editorial story profiling his remarkable “off pump” open heart surgery technique. A year later I chose him to perform open heart surgery on me using the “off pump” technique. I’ve always liked this portrait for it’s combination of showing Dr. Carlsons warm humanity and his confidence. This is a situation where what I saw in a person I trusted and put my life in his hands.