Photograph Portrait of Sarah Blakeslee

Weiss was born in the Catskills in upstate New York but raised in North Carolina. In New York, he studied and worked with Arnold Newman, a notable portrait photographer who was known for placing sitters within their workspace or work. Weiss did something similar in 1988. His series in black and white depicted eleven North Carolina artists posed in their workspaces along with representative pieces. Each artist is photographed with austerity, despite the artistically intimate, casual setting and placement. A few of the notable artists he photographed were Sarah Blakeslee, Edith London, George Bireline, and Maud Gatewood.

Although he began his career in Raleigh, Weiss branched out to direct commercials and short videos in the 1990s. He quickly grew cynical about commercialized art, however, and eventually left that life. Weiss moved back to North Carolina, where exciting technological advancements in still photography awaited him."