Greer's OC

20qs

1. What character in a movie or book do you most identify with?: I wished I could be as straight-faced pretentious as to claim Howard Roark's The Fountainhead. However, probably more realistic is like the protagonist from Hotel Honolulu by Paul Theroux.

2. What do you do to relax?: My family and go to coves in South Laguna. In the afternoon, we go to Kean Coffee on Irvine and 17th in Newport Beach! My wife Christina (and our then-newborn Simon) were the first real regulars there!

3. Favorite vacation spot?: The Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand. My family have a beach house there, and we spend several weeks every year there surfing and drinking NZ flat-whites (coffee).

4. Where haven't you been that you're dying to go?: I want to do a road trip around the North Island in New Zealand. Camping the whole way.

5. What's your next major goal in life?: Have my fashion photography on the cover of Allure magazine and shoot regular spreads for them. My heroes Regan Cameron, Greg Kadel and Carter Smith shoot regularly for it. If I can do that and reside in Orange County I have made it!

6. Who had the biggest influence on your life?: My grandmother Berta Wallis. She was a beauty queen from Mexico, married an Oil Man and lived a life all around the world. When my Grandfather retired she invested his money and doubled it in 3 months on the stock market. She always had an entourage. When she spoke to you it was as if you were the only person in the world. Here's the truth: she always believed in me -the greatest complement anyone can have...

8. Favorite restaurants in Orange County?: Roy's in Fashion Island and Kura revolving sushi bar in Costa Mesa.

10. Dumbest investment?: A vintage Mercedes. What a money pit nightmare. I finally gave the dream up and ditched it.

11. A famous person you love to meet?: My famous people are different than most. I want to meet photographers: Regan Cameron (A New Zealander living in NYC) and Richard Bailey (from Australia). I also love Sofia Coppola and business author Brian Tracy.

12. Biggest accomplishment?: I was always told: get a degree and work your way up the corporate ladder. I threw that slave mindset away mid-masters degree and came to the USA to pursue photography. I never went back to finish the degree ... never regretted that. I live a life of unreality now: "taking photos of women playing dress-up," as my wife says!

13. What's your biggest fear?: I take photos and I am often surprised: Wow, I took that! I love that! I fear one day that mojo will disappear, and I will be relegated in people's minds to the soft-focus, overly-posed, muslin backdrop photographers' club.

14. Who is your favorite artist?: Music: The Radio Department, director Sofia Coppola, Maurice Shadbolt, a New Zealand author

15. If you had to begin a different career, what would you do?: I love the show "Cops" so I would have to say I would like to be a cop. Doing something useful and exciting.

16. Secret most people don’t know about you?: I'm just as scared I'll be found out as we all are ...

17. Who is your favorite fictional character?: Charlotte from "Lost in Translation."

18. Your biggest extravagance?: Surfboards. My wife wonders why I need four in our garage.

20. What was the best day in your life?: There are two: Births of Simon and Nate.