Ave has been taking pictures that combine his observational ability with his prowess as a designer for over fifty years. His photographs have appeared in national and international publications.
Many of his images of Hollywood Boulevard from the 1970s are represented in the permanent collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the New York Public Library.
Four books of his photographs have been published previously: Art Deco LA (1978, Harper & Row), Movie Palaces: Los Angeles (2000, Clarkson Potter), and Bijou (2016, Nazraeli Press).
Star Struck (Deadbeat Club Press, 2022) his first monograph, features photographs taken on Hollywood Boulevard in the 1970s.
Ave is also Professor Emeritus at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, CA.