From his first book of photographs,  Live in Concert: 10 years of Rock and Roll, published in 1987, to his latest work-in-progress, Cuba Dreaming, scheduled for publication in 2007, Lorne Resnick has always strived to create images that probe beyond the everyday facade to capture the essential meaning and character of his subjects.

"The authenticity of the moment is what I'm after, and I'm obsessed with what makes one moment more special than another," says the Los Angeles-based commercial and fine art photographer. "There's great joy in capturing a particular unique moment in time that represents an impactful emotion. It's a fascinating process.

Well-established as a stock photographer represented by Getty Images and several European photo agencies, the 44-year-old Resnick's interest in photography grew out of his love for music and travel. "I went to a lot of concerts in my hometown of Toronto, and I started shooting because of a real urge I had to capture that 'decisive moment," recalls Resnick, whose rock book featured more than 60 bands. "When my book came out, it became my introduction to photography, and through music I transitioned into doing a lot of traveling."

His first big trip was an overland journey to Africa, a continent that remains one of his favorite photographic destinations. I was away for a year, and drove from Amsterdam to Capetown, and returned with 200 rolls of black and white film, he says. "I then spent the next six months in the darkroom." It was many such intensive experiences in the darkroom, and the extraordinary quality of current digital capture, that led Resnick to largely switch to shooting digitally.

"I like to spend a considerable period of time observing and searching for moments and behaviors that I would be less aware of if I weren't trying to capture that one special shot," says Resnick, much of whose early Africa work was photographed with infrared film to capture a new look and feel beyond ordinary wildlife images. “It takes time to get to that deeper level. It’s the same with people, it takes time to get to know an individual well enough to represent his or her true character in an image."

Resnick currently divides his time between ongoing assignment work and fine art photography. “Half of my work is commercial and half is fine art, the distinction depends on whether an assignment is client driven or driven by myself and my ideas,” he says, "I try to bring my own aesthetic into how I shoot in both areas."

Resnick is currently busy completing what could be described as his magnum opus, a comprehensive book on Cuba, its people and culture. He first visited the island in 1995, and during subsequent visits has taken an estimated 20,000 images. "I fell in love with the country," he says, "I spent two months there during my first visit and have been back since then at least a dozen times.”

When completed, Cuba Dreaming: Life in the Moment, will feature upwards of 250 black and white and color images along with numerous interviews with Cuban people. "It will be a powerful, colorful book with the dynamic feel of Cuba,” says Resnick, "I try to use the camera as a bridge of connection to people, and I hope the book itself will help bridge the gap in understanding between Cuba and the rest of the world."

With recent exhibitions at The Perfect Exposure Gallery in 2001 and twice in 2003, and a show of his Cuba work at the Center Galley in Thousand Oaks, California, also in 2003, Resnick is hoping to more actively pursue personal projects.

He is the recent winner of The Travel photographer of the Year contest.

For detials on the award please go here.