Tom was always interested in movies, and three in particular always stuck with him. COOL HAND LUCK, MIDNIGHT COWBOY and IN COLD BLOOD. It was the work of Conrad Hall in the latter film that inspired him to become a director of photography.

After a stint in the Navy Reserve, Tom made the big move to Los Angeles in 1982, finding employment in the movie industry two weeks after he arrived (he was an usher at the Mann Chinese Theater).

His start as a cinematographer came in 1986, with the Texas-shot movie GHOST RIDERS, and then the mighty cult epic ASSAULT OF THE KILLER BIMBOS. That led to a string of genre movies, with increasing budgets and higher profile casts. To date, Tom has worked with such talents as Leonardo DiCaprio, Alan Arkin, James Coburn, Christopher Plummer, Richard Chamberlin and Angela Basset.

He has photographed over 60 feature films, which is a near-record in Hollywood for someone his age. He has also shot several network television shows, and a number of TV movies. He added to his impressive resume recently by appearing in the reality TV show PROJECT GREENLIGHT, which chronicled the making of John Gulager’s FEAST.

Tom is presently at work developing his next project as a director, a comedy about life in boot camp in the early 1980’s, based on his experiences in the Navy Reserve. He also has several movies in the can as a DP, including the theatrical comedy WHO’S YOUR CADDY and WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE.