In the 1980's I had a business in NY called Platinum Editions which printed in platinum for a lot of top photographers. One day I had the great fortune to connect up with Richard Avedon. We hit it off and I did a few test prints for him, which he loved. He decided to print the whole American West show in platinum. I was elated, of course, but a couple of weeks later he decided the the platinum process was too warm for him, his images were cold and "brutal" and the warm, inviting tones didn't match his sensibilities. This decided, he invited me to see if I was good enough to print the show in silver (traditional darkroom printing) at his studio. I went in for the interview and he introduced me to his studio manager, Rudy, who took me down to the darkroom. They chose an 8x10 negative for me to print and I went to work. A little while later I emerged from the darkroom with a 20x24 print. He looked at the print, then looked at me a little strange and as I went upstairs to show it to "Dick," he said, "I forgot something, I'll be up in a second, go right up." I presented the print to Dick and Rudy came right in as promised. Dick took one good look at my work and exclaimed. "Great!" Then he turned to Rudy and said, "How many prints did it take him?" Rudy had gone back into the darkroom and looked in the trash as I was going up the stairs and was prepared for this question. He held up two fingers, waving them a bit. It was one of those moments I will never forget. Dick said, "No one has ever made a print this good in as few tries around here." Just to make sure it wasn't a fluke, he game me six different changes to the print, add a little here, take some away from here, etc. In two more prints, I had the print he wanted. I was hired on the spot. I went away to Vermont for the weekend. When I came back they had changed their minds once again. They realized that to print the whole show in the studio would have taken up a tremendous amount of space, not to mention organization and a lot of work. They had decided to let Modernage, a lab in NY, go through all the trouble. I showed up for work on Monday morning and was told the news. I was disappointed and shocked. My emotions overwhelmed me. Frustration, anger, disdain, upset. It didn't help that I had spent a little more on my trip anticipating a new job. He was waiting for it. I took one breath. In one of the truly proud moments of my life, I decided to do the opposite of what my whole body wanted to do. I thanked him for the time we spent together, shook his hand and wished him well. His expression changed, and a friendship emerged. Soon after, I left New York for California. I took the opportunity to visit him at a local bookstore where he was signing his latest book. He greeted me warmly and thanked me for my contribution to his aesthetic. He had appreciated the opportunity to see his work in another medium and make some choices anew. I had had a difficult time in NY and it was easy to leave. Of the top photographers I had worked with the only one who was a real gentleman was Avedon. He was a good friend in the very short time we knew each other, but I always knew he was there if I needed him. I will miss him.