Shoot Date: July 18, 2010

I met and shot Najarra Townsend once before.  She was such a wonderful model to work with that I had to shoot her again.  :)

My lovely MUA, Phi, and I were brainstorming ideas, and she said that Najarra had the perfect look for a “dirty bride” shoot she had been wanting to do. We took that idea and ran with it! My roommate used to be an avid paintballer, and still had some of his gear. We thought Najarra’s delicate beauty would look particularly awesome paired with a big ‘ole gun. Najarra, ever the trooper, jumped right into the dirt and started “shooting”. Check out those gorgeous blue eyes:

It took a bit of scouting to find the right location, but I was pleased with the one I found. The backgrounds really have that dirty, combat-worn feel I wanted. And doesn’t she just look like a post-apocalyptic babe, straight out of a movie? She nailed all the expressions and poses.

I also wanted to do some badass, sexy, super-spy shots with her… and our location accommodated both outfits. Her bone structure is just so beautifully fierce… I loved the idea of shooting her as the femme fatale.

One of the benefits of working with this model is that, while she can clearly pull off the glamorous, the badass, the fierce, the rugged, etc… she has a gorgeous smile, which she uses frequently, and is a total sweetie. When we were decking her out with this outfit change, a group of people was staring from afar, and rather than get cross, she grins all huge and starts waving and shouting, “Hiiiiiii….” at them. Gotta love it. :)

When I saw this area of dry brush and palm trees, I was ecstatic. Thanks to Najarra’s acting chops and some items from my old Lara Croft costume, this image leapt to life exactly as I pictured it:

There is something special about working with actors on shoots. There’s a movement to their poses, and they seem to be down for pretty much anything I ask them to do, even when it’s as physically demanding as supporting their weight by one arm, while hanging off a ladder, holding a gun out with the other arm, for minutes on end, as I shoot them from different angles….

I love my models. :)

Najarra was recently filming an episode for CSI: NY, and I have no doubt this Tru Loved star will continue to rise. Thank you, Najarra, for a perfect shoot!

To see more of the paintball shoot, click here:

And for more of the badass shoot, see:

Shoot date: July 17, 2010

It has taken me far too long to write this post. This is because I did not want to do less of a job than is deserved by its subject. This photo shoot and blog highlight my fabulous Make Up Artist (MUA) – Phi, of Orange County’s Phi’s Pretty Faces (please visit her website for booking info).

I told the story of Phi and my introduction in a previous post. Looking back now, our meeting was incredibly serendipitous, and I cannot imagine where I would be had we not met. Phi has been such an incredible partner on this photographic journey. When I describe my desires for a shoot, she not only hears what I actually say, she also reads between the lines and hears what I want. She often surprises me with some aspect that I didn’t even know I wanted, yet which was perfect for my shoot. Having now had her do my own make up for two special events, I can say she is a wonderful person to work with, both when you’re in the make up chair yourself, as well as when you’re directing.

This particular shoot started very early in the morning, and Phi was on her feet making up our models for probably around six hours straight. It was quite an extravaganza! I had worked with only one of the models before, Lore Jac-Rey. She had organized some of her model friends for this particular shoot, and our aim was to show off Phi’s talent on a variety of faces.

Liz

We began with Liz, a beautiful blonde with lovely bone structure:

Phi gave her an elegant crystal teardrop pattern, in seafoam palette that complemented Liz’s gorgeous eyes perfectly:

I was impressed by how well Liz worked her angles; her poses and expressions were wonderful. I love how she draws you into the photo with her eyes.

Monica

Next, Phi created a stunning alternative-rocker bridal look:

As someone who used to dabble with the idea of doing make up professionally (Random fact: I worked under Steve Jan, doing make up for two runway shows, back in college.), I feel compelled to point out the intricacy of the shading and blending of the eyelid in this design. Look at the colors and the detail! Geez!

My model for this look, the lovely Monica, was a natural in front of the camera. She really knew how to fill the space to create a striking image:

Tish

Then, Phi created a colorful, vivid, 80s glam look. She drew stars on the model’s lips. Stars. On her lips! And I love the electric blue under-eye liner:

I had wanted to do a record themed shoot, and with Phi’s colorful creation, and Tish‘s fierce looks, I knew I had the right setup.

Tish knows how to find the light and do whatever it takes to get the shot.

Anisha

Next up was Anisha, whom Phi gave a dramatic, gothic, tear-stained look:

When she began, I was apprehensive. After knowing the model for just a few hours, I had already seen how marvelously nice she was. Utter sweetheart. How was she going to pull of this dark, dramatic look?

I’ll tell you how – she rocked the hell out of it!!

Despite her incredible sweetness (and all while having a lovely time between shots – smiling, laughing, and whatnot), she nailed the super dramatic, intense gazes I was looking for:

Lore

Having worked with Lore once before, Phi had a special idea for her make up, which was saved for last due to its labor intensiveness. She created a breathtaking Dia De Los Muertos face: half glamour and half skull.

Lore and I worked to create a Frida Khalo inspired portrait. To obtain the aged look I wanted, this is one of the few photos to which I have ever overlaid a texture effect.

We then took some outdoor photos, which I adore because the background in the photos feels very evocative of the environment I recall from my own trip Mexico.

With all our other projects completed, Phi and the other models retired for the day, while Lore and I headed out to a cemetery, wherein we created one of my (as of yet) favorite ever photos:

There is absolutely minimal editing done on that shot, and I will admit I’m quite proud of it. But here’s the thing: without my make up artist, this shot never would have been. The model and photographer are both obvious contributors to the art, but the make up artist is the unsung hero of any shoot.

I am incredibly lucky to work with someone as talented as Phi. Her contributions have taken my art to a higher level. If you are getting married soon, have a special event coming up, need a self confidence boost, or just want to look your best for a night out with the girls – contact Phi! Her rates are very reasonable, she’s a total sweetheart, and she will make you feel like a million bucks!! :)

Many thanks to my MUA, and to my lovely models! :)

To see more of the above sets, click to view a slideshow of each model’s gallery at my site.

LIZ:

MONICA:

TISH:

Anisha:

LORE:

Shoot Date: June 15, 2010

This blog entry comes late and way out of order. Why? Because friends are awesome.

Friends say, “Sure, I’ll drive down from LA to pose for your test shoot.” Then, even more lovingly, they say, “Don’t worry about processing the photos now. I know you’re super swamped, so wait until you have time. And take care of the edits for your other models first.” So, to my friend and lovely model, Artos the Bear, I tip my hat in gratitude. Your patience is superhuman. :)

I’ve shot Artos in the past, but this was our first shoot together with my DSLR camera. It was really fun for me to work with a friend while my camera was still relatively new to me. She was patient while I fiddled with manual focus…

….she followed direction as I ordered her in different directions to play with light….

…and she held her beautiful poses gracefully throughout…

Modeling isn’t easy, ladies and gentleman… even if the model is good enough to make it seem so!

It’s also helpful that Artos is a photographer as well, so she sees her poses from both perspectives. Her style is mythic and storytelling, so her poses usually have a romantic and ethereal feel to them. I must say, I’m perpetually jealous of the slender sleekness of Artos’ figure. She has the muscle and body of someone who really moves as a part of daily life, rather than just hitting the gym once a week. And her modeling practice allows her to twist and twine her body into beautiful designs:

She also has these really gorgeous, piercing, golden eyes. I absolutely love this photo. It’s just so…. raaaawwwrrr!!!! I love it when a model can convey so much to the viewer through his or her expression:

This next one is always going to be one of my favorite photos. I love her spunky attitude (“You just try to stop me from whatever delinquent act I’m about to do, little puppy!“), love the light that’s burning amber on her cheek, and perhaps I love the most the feeling I got when I first saw the photo on the computer screen. There was something about this photo that proved to me that I could really be a photographer, and I won’t forget that feeling. Thank you, Artos. :)

And of course, when you’re shooting with friends, you have to be sure to get a silly shot or two…

Later, Artos changed outfits for some experimental night shots. This was my first attempt at nighttime shooting with the new camera, and I didn’t really have my settings down. But I like what we caught, nonetheless, and it was amusing trying to time the open shutter with the passing cars for optimal headlight blur:

To see more images from my shoot with Artos the Bear, view the slideshow: