It's May 18th, 2007, and this is the Candid Frame.

Today's guest is Joel Gray, and you are likely familiar with him from his numerous roles on both stage and screen,

including his Tony and Oscar-winning performances as the MC in Cabaret.

But along with his accomplishments as a performer,

Joel, for the last 30 years, has discovered a passion for photography.

And while there are many actors such as Sammy Davis, Jr., Yol Brenner, and Roddy McDowell,

who have turned to the camera as a creative outlet, Joel has turned his camera not to the world of Hollywood and Broadway, but rather to the streets of New York, Venice, and elsewhere,

capturing images of the common and the mundane.

As the title of his latest book suggests,

Looking Hard at Unexamined Things,

Joel turns his camera to subjects that many of us pass by every single day,

but which Joel uses as a pilot for his work.

Though the images exhibit a strong sense of color and texture and pattern,

it's interesting how he reveals the presence and impact of people without actually showing them.

And what is very interesting about his story is that despite a lack of formal training,

he has developed a wonderful eye by utilizing his own intuition rather than depending on the latest

technology.

So I hope you enjoy our conversation with Joel Gray.

All right, Joe, well, welcome to The Candid Frame.

It's great to have an opportunity to interview you for the show.

My pleasure.

Well, let's start with your beginnings as a photographer.

...