Author headshot for Anne Helen Petersen

Headshot sessions fascinate me because of the gamut of people that end up in front of my camera. The authors that I've worked with have been some of my favorite clients and Anne Helen Petersen definitely fits into that category. Writing is definitely a skill that for the most part eludes me but as is the case with photography, I'm always impressed with people that are able to make careers out of endeavors that for the most part, everyone does. 

The author portraits of Anne Helen Petersen were for her timely book titled - 'Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman' - published last summer. Photographing authors opens up literary genres that normally would not be part of my usual reading list but I'm always curious to read their work after getting to know them through my headshot sessions. Ten "unruly" women are profiled in Petersen's book, from Serena Williams being labeled as "too strong" to Hillary Clinton's characterization as being "too shrill." The book is a great read and definitely hits home for me. I'm lucky to have a couple unruly women in my life and make no mistake about it - this is definitely still a man's world - but the book provides a little hope that change does happen through strong women that are resilient to the attacks they inevitably endure. 

Helix Sleep photoshoot with Amelie Mancini

"So would you like to shoot a couple hanging out on their mattress?" That was the message I received from Alisa Sheridan of Smalls Girls PR. That sounded interesting however the first question that popped into my head was 'what are they going to be doing on the mattress?' Alisa then told me it was just going to be more of a lifestyle shoot for Helix Sleep, showcasing the mattress within the setting of the bedroom. This photoshoot was fun for me because it provided an opportunity to combine my interior photography with my portrait photography. 

Amelie Mancini and her husband, Rami Metal were the (expecting)couple featured in the shoot. Amelie is an uber talented artist and textile designer from France, now operating her business in Brooklyn and Rami is the director of strategic engagement for the NYCDOT. You can check out Amelie's work here. As evident in the photos below, their cat Ladybird, was not camera shy and spent some time hamming it up for the camera. As an animal lover, I've never been opposed to letting pets have their moment to shine in front of the camera. 

Helix Sleep used the photos for their blog post - In bed with Amelie Mancini.

Gravitating to Gray

Although most of my headshots are shot on white seamless backdrops, it is fun to mix it up to achieve a different look. Changing the background to gray or black gives a completely different feel to the image and can be better suited to complement certain expressions by toning down the overall mood of the image. Check out how the gray matches the quiet confidence expressed in this headshot of writer/director Jess Carson:

Now compare that image to the headshot below and you can see how the white background is more suited for her expression of playful exuberance:

Another item to note is the use of fill lighting in the two images. Although both images used essentially the same angle on the main light, the amount of fill light was reduced in the first image to further enhance the drama by deepening the shadows on her face. Stay tuned for more behind the scenes commentary in future blog posts!

6 Feet Under - Portrait of a Sculptor

Sometimes to mix it up, it is good to get out and shoot some personal work. I'd been to my friend Jean-Marie Grenier's studio before and thought that it would be an interesting place to do some experimentation and create a photo essay about him and his sculpting. He refers to his studio as being 6 feet under because it is in the basement of he and his wife's converted funeral home.

Without time constraints and with Jean-Marie keeping busy on his latest piece, I was able to shoot using the natural lights, supplementing with my strobes, and even playing around with some gels to add some color effects. I also shot a roll of black and white film and will provide a followup post when I receive the scans. 

If you are interested in his work, check out the link below:

Jean-Marie Grenier

Jean-Marie's work is inspired by dancers in motion. His studio is adorned with imagery of this elegant muse and his work is a reflection of the human body's ability to move and be shaped as such.

Future dancer/artist?

Portrait of an Engineer - Round Two

For the second part in the Doggerel Series - Profiles in Design, I had the opportunity to Sebastian Lopez who is a plumbing engineer for Arup. To get the perspective of what it is like to be a plumbing engineer in New York City, check out the link to the article below:

Profiles in Design: Plumbing Engineer Sebastian Lopez

Sebastian is one of many people that commute to work via bicycle, so for this shoot I thought it could be cool to somehow incorporate his bike into the imagery. 

For some BTS info, the lighting for this photo was done with a deep octa softbox mounted on an Elinchrom Ranger RX.