Throughout my life, I’ve faced traumatic experiences that I can easily recall, along with the memories and associated emotions.
For better or worse, these experiences are a part of me. The biggest one for me will always be the loss of my
brother, who was just 21 years old when he fell asleep and crashed his car on the NJ Turnpike. At this moment
Tony captured me, I was thinking about my brother and this ten-year-old video I found last year on YouTube.
In the video clip the actor Billy Bob Thornton shares his experience of losing his brother. He explains how this
loss has profoundly affected his outlook on life, leaving him with a persistent feeling of melancholy. Thornton
mentions that he never fully trusts happiness and often feels 50% happy and 50% sad. He advises people who
have lost a loved one to accept their feelings and honor them through their work or art. He emphasizes that
one never truly gets over such a loss but can learn to live with the pain and use it as a source of inspiration. I
relate deeply to his perspective and how he articulates his feelings.
Glamour at Fonthill. Photo: Tony Ward, Copyright 2025
History of Fonthill Castle
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Model: Gina Iannece
Photo: Tony Ward
Stylist: KVaughn
Hair & Makeup: Michael Connor
Lighting Grip: Anthony Colagreco
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Nestled in the heart of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Fonthill Castle stands as a testament to the creativity and vision of one of America’s most eccentric and influential figures, Henry Chapman Mercer. Built between 1908 and 1912, this unique structure is not a traditional castle in the medieval sense but rather a sprawling, concrete mansion that reflects Mercer’s passion for history, art, and innovation.
Henry Chapman Mercer (1856–1930) was an archaeologist, anthropologist, and tile-maker who sought to preserve the craftsmanship of the pre-industrial era. Disillusioned by the rapid industrialization of the late 19th century, Mercer dedicated his life to creating works that celebrated handmade artistry. Fonthill Castle was his personal residence and a canvas for his artistic expression. The castle’s design is a whimsical blend of Gothic, Medieval, and Byzantine architectural styles, featuring 44 rooms, 18 fireplaces, and over 200 windows, each uniquely shaped and placed.
The construction of Fonthill Castle was groundbreaking for its time. Mercer insisted on using reinforced concrete, a relatively new material in the early 20th century, to create a durable and fireproof structure. The castle’s interior is adorned with Mercer’s handmade tiles, which depict historical scenes, literary quotes, and personal motifs. Every corner of the castle tells a story, from the intricate tilework to the hand-carved wooden furniture.
Fonthill Castle was more than just a home; it was a living museum. Mercer filled the space with his vast collection of artifacts, including prints, books, and tiles, which he used to educate visitors about history and craftsmanship. He often hosted guests, offering them tours of his eclectic creation and sharing his passion for preserving the past.
After Mercer’s death in 1930, Fonthill Castle was bequeathed to the Bucks County Historical Society, which continues to maintain and operate the site as a museum. Today, visitors can explore the castle’s labyrinthine halls, marvel at its artistic details, and gain insight into Mercer’s remarkable life and legacy.
Fonthill Castle remains a beloved landmark in Doylestown, attracting thousands of visitors each year. It stands as a symbol of Mercer’s dedication to art, history, and innovation, offering a glimpse into the mind of a man who dared to dream differently. The castle’s enduring charm and historical significance ensure that Mercer’s vision will continue to inspire future generations.
Gina at Fonthill. Photo: Tony Ward, Copyright 2025
The Photo Review is a critical journal of international scope and readership. Publishing since 1976, The Photo Review covers photography events throughout the country and serves as a central resource for the Mid-Atlantic region. With incisive reviews, exciting portfolios, lively interviews, the latest in books and exhibitions, The Photo Review biannual journal has earned a reputation as one of the best serious photography publications being produced today. Our writers — including A.D. Coleman, Stephen Perloff, Shelley Rice, Peter Hay Halpert, Barbara L. Michaels, Jean Dykstra, and Mark Power — have weighed in on subjects as varied as the posthumous publication of work by Diane Arbus, women in photography, the growth of digital media, the historical movement from Pictorialism into Modernism, etc., etc. In his ongoing series, “The Censorship Diaries,” Editor Stephen Perloff was in the forefront in covering the controversy over funding for the NEA and censorship of the arts.
The Photo Review has earned a reputation for lucid and incisive writing aimed at an intelligent and informed audience, but free of the cant and jargon that infects much contemporary writing about art. Thus, both arts publications and the popular press have looked to us for interpretations of what’s happening on the photography scene. Articles have been reprinted in such publications as Afterimage, To, Photography in New York, American Photo, and others.
Editor Stephen Perloff, a respected writer, educator and photographer, has been interviewed for The New York Times, The Toronto Globe & Mail, The Wall Street Journal, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Photo District News, and the New York Observer. He has received two critic’s fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Colin Ford Award for Curatorship from the Royal Photographic Society.
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Wasteland. Photo: Tony Ward, Copyright 2024. Available at Auction on October 26, 2024.
TW: Do photographers continue to drop off print portfolios these days to potential clients, or is that way of getting assignments a thing of the past?
KB:I think there is no one way of showing work. I think that these days most photographers do prepared digital presentations on an Ipad or laptop.. I personally really like having a really nicely printed analog book and promo pieces.. one of the reasons I like this technique is specifically because most people aren’t doing it that way. I do also have a digital presentation that can augment the analog stuff. But, at the end of the day, each photographer chooses his or her own way really.
TW: Can a NYC photographer make it without an agent or does word of mouth continue to be an effective business strategy?
KB: I’d say that there isn’t one way for doing these things. I have done both and also a hybrid of both. When I didn’t have an agent, I would hire agents to negotiate my fee onceI got a client that was calling and inquiring about a big job. I don’t like to negotiate about my work and then be on set with the same people I was just negotiating with. I like to be the good cop. Also, I think it really helps to have someone on your side that is current on all the legalities and usage ratios and concepts. I take pictures.. I want someone on my team that deals well with all of that other stuff, That being said, I know photographers and other artists that are wildly successful without agents. i’ve just preferred to do it the other way.
TW: What is the responsibility of a photographers agent?
KB: Well, Ideally and most importantly they deal with all the technicalities.. usage, percentages, being the bad cop in negotiations. I want my agents to know more people than i do. I want thoier scope of the politics of the industry to be wider than mine.. or at least different. I want them at the parties im not at. i want them to be working while i sleep ha. Contracts are so complex these days that i NEED them and the team at teh agency to be able to make sense of all the legalese. Agents are meant to make the photographers job easier.. The photographer’s job is to be a photographer.. not a lawyer or any such thing. Photographers are problem solvers and I think it’s logical to delegate the responsibilies that we may not be the best at.I deally the agent is another set or sets of eyes on the photographers work. Sometimes agents see trends in the industry that we as photographers don’t. There are many photographers who have work that begins
TW: Do you own the copyright to your images? Or do you or your agent sign work for hire agreements?
KB: Depends on the usage for the job. In most cases yes, I own the copywrite.. but part of usage negotiations are exactly that. Most of the time it is not an outright buyout in perpetuity.. Clients usually dont do that because it’s costly. Most of the time they negotiate an exclusive arrangement that overs a set amount of time (2 year exclusives seem to be popular). Fun example: I shot a campaign for MGM Grand right before the pandemic hit. there was a two year exclusive on those images.. Meaning, the brand could do whatever they wanted with those images within that time frame. the images were of lots of beautiful people having a good time in the enclosed space of the casino. the pandemic hit and all those kinds of images could not be used.. They just weren’t a realistic portrayal of what the world was like during lock down. Once the pandemic subsided, MGM wanted to used them.. but by this point the 2 year exclusive had expired and they had to pay me my fee AGAIN to use the images! free money is the best kind!
TW: How often do you ask your subjects for model releases and in what context?
KB: Most of my subjects tend to be celebrities or people who we casted specifically for the job. The releases in those cases are handled by the line producer at the agency or magazine. If I’m shooting ” real” people, I generally ask them to sign a release depending on what’s going on on the shoot.
TW: How much can a photographer expect to earn for a billboard ad on Times Square?
KB: Well, its not really calculated in that way. fees are usually a product of usage ( where the ad will run and for how long ) If the ad is running in Times Square, its likely that it is running elsewhere and the usage has some detail in it that says the ad can be used outdoors etc. So, it kind of runs the gamut.. the first as I shot that ran in Times Square I think I was paid just a few thousand dollars.. I got a 70k day rate for another.
TW: Has AI had an impact on your workflow regarding commissioned assignments?
KB: Not in a major way. I do use the Adobe Ai in photoshop on occasion.. “Generative fill” certainly saves time in retouching. I feel that AI is a buzz word that encompases a bunch of stuff.. most of which isn’t “artificial intelligence” and most of which has been with us in some form for a long while.
TW: For celebrities, do you prefer to shoot in studio or location?
KB: Both. Either. All of the above depends on the story that needs to be told.
TW: Who is or was the most influential photographer that inspires your creative ambitions?
KB: Too many to mention really. inspiration is everywhere if you seek it out. I LOVE William Eggleston, Avedon, Guy Bourdin is probably my favorite photographer of all time. I love Kwaku Alston, Terry Richardson, David LaChappelle, Tony Ward, Matthew Salacuse, Brooke Nipar, Guy Aroch and many many others.
TW: If you were to pick one assignment that you’ve had thus far, which one would you say was your favorite and why?
KB: I really think that when I shot the 2017 trade campaign for Viacom that was a really big statement for me. It’s one of the biggest shoots I’ve ever done and one of the most fun. For two weeks I shot in ads NYC and LA for ALL the Viacom properties. Viacom ( now Paramount ) was MTV, VH1, BET, Cartoon Network, Country Music channel etc. the assignment was to shoot one celeb from each property each in complete and subversive situations.. This involved multiple set builds and hundreds of extras.. Lots of moving parts, VERY challenging. This shoot felt like something that I was training for for all of my career. ALL, the skills that i had acquired ended up being used on that shoot. and I love the way the work came out.
TW: You are an excellent karaoke performer. How did you get into it and what do you like most about stage performance?
KB:I’ve learned many life lessons from Karaoke: the concept of selling an idea, getting people on your side, convincing people to be excited about what you’re excited about and finally, being able to just let go! That’s Karaoke. there are many ideas that Karaoke taught me that are VERY applicable to my professional photography. including how to run a set with dozens of people on it. Being a photographer can sometimes be like being on stage!
I got into Karaoke through a friend of mine named Chris Goldteeth, who ran a party here in the city on the Lower East side called Karaoke Killed the Cat. It was an amazing party and we even went on a world tour in 2007!
TW: If you were to make a comparison to your photography business and your chess game, what is your next move?
KB: Chess has long been seen as a game that is a measure of intellect and intelligence. This is NOT true. Many chess players are idiots. Chess is more about pattern recognition and prioritization.
Chess teaches us to be creative in our solutions and being able to think and put yourself in your opponents shoes.. In that way, chess teaches a form of empathy. Chess also teaches patience.
In chess, one should never make a move without a reason. Good chess is very efficient that way. Energy and time should not be wasted on extra actions. When it comes to my career, I think many of these principles apply. I think I’ve played a good game so far. I think the overall strategy is: identifying patterns and trends, applying knowledge you have learned from past games and being aware of how they fit into the games of today and being able to adjust actions to fit current circumstances. Chess theory grows and evolves over time. Yhe more we learn , the more novel concepts are introduced into the game. We must be flexible and tolerant of new ideas.. This applies to chess, life and photography.
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To access Behind The Scenes videos of the Kareem Black feature, check out our new YouTube channel here:
I’ll never forget when I first met Kareem Black in 1997. He was a student at SVA School of Visual Arts in New York. While finishing up his photography training at SVA he made an appointment to visit me at my studio in Philadelphia to ask my advice on becoming a professional photographer. He often reminds me that I was the first real photographer that he met. During one of his visits, I asked him to model for a picture for an upcoming book, called Tableaux Vivant’s. The picture is one of my favorites from the book, of which Kareem received a copy during his visit.
The Figure. Photo: Tony Ward, Copyright 2024.
Our meeting had an impact because when he left SVA and started a career as a pro, he took off! Kareem and I have stayed in touch remarkably 25 years later, and this month of May 2024 I’ve decided to reach out and celebrate his success by inviting back to his home town for a feature shoot. Kareem was thrilled. So was I and the results of the cover shoot speaks for itself.
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To access more behind the scenes with photographer Kareem Black, check out our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/0UEYAERF1IM