I’ve been doing portraits of these two sisters for a couple of years now.. its been fun to watch them grow up… and they are a lot of fun, too. They started coming in for acting headshots originally, but they still come in even though they aren’t doing it any more.
And one where I told them to just be silly….
Well, I’m back from my week long stint at Texas School. I was working as a wrangler (assistant) for an amazing photographer out of the U.K. named Martin Grahame-Dunn. It was an exhausting week and my duties as wrangler made it difficult to get much shooting for myself in, but it certainly was a great, great week. My class was amazing.. great group of talented people.. and none of us particularly wanted it to end, even though we were all barely standing.
This was one of the few frames I captured out there.. Elizabeth isn’t really a high school senior – she’s not even a freshman yet – but I set out to photographer and process the image in that style.
Feb 26
My daughter, Meagan, will sometimes agree to model new patterns for her mother’s business, Knitting Fairy. The crop sweater is a new design called Matadora. This image was actually one of the outtakes, but I liked it for the energy.
Feb 19
I’ve been posting a lot of art type stuff lately, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still doing headshots and portraits. This local CEO came in recently to get a headshot for a magazine article soon to run about his business.
I have recently added a One Look Headshot back to my offerings. For $99, you receive a short session and one full resolution image you can use for all your personal needs. (Some restrictions apply.)
Feb 5
As many long time watchers of my blog know, I am involved with a couple charities where I donate photographic services. Of course, I talk about the Haunted House the most, but I also do work with Operation: Love ReUnited as well. This group hooks up photographers with families that have soldiers deployed overseas. They get a free photo session while their soldier is deployed and we, as the photographers, provide a small album sent directly to the soldier at their duty station. Its a little way of boosting morale for our troops.
This is one from one of my most recent sessions, Lori.
Jan 9
My friend Jade (who also happens to be my favorite makeup artist) is expecting her second child in May. We’ve been working on a series of images chronicling her progress and I really liked how this one came out…
(The name is pronounced JAH-dee, btw .. she’s American Indian.. Creek, if I remember right.)
Dec 31
Update: I’ve entered this image in a contest.. if you’d like to cast your vote for it, go to this link: http://facesphotocontest.com/bin/Rate?image_id=1009400362
My favorite image from 2009 gains that distinction not just because it is a compelling photograph with a strong sense of story and emotion.. its also deeply personal to me. My dear friend Lar was diagnosed with breast cancer in October of 2008. She had me do her photo several times during the course of treatment, but none were as emotional as making this image in May in the middle of her chemotherapy. Lar is an amazingly beautiful woman with piercing blue eyes and its those same eyes that are so penetrating here, full of strength and sadness and pain all at once.
She was a Godsend to my wife this year, who was diagnosed with cancer – lymphoma – herself in March. She was able to help with advice and commiseration. They are both cancer free now and ready to put this nightmare year behind them.. another reason to post this image today.
Photography info: This is shot with a dark room for a background and in a room with two skylights above and south facing windows. An off camera fill flash to camera right was used to fill in shadows and get a small catchlight. Shot with a 70-200 2.8L wide open.
This image and the one I finally chose as my favorite went back and forth in the running. I love both images for the feeling of the backstory… this one, an entertainer, down on her luck, smoking in a back alley. This was a set up shot, of course, done at After Dark in Austin. No instructor input on this, it was done away from the crowds. One other photographer was also working with Raina here, but she chose a different angle.
This was shot using my own strobist kit. The model is sitting at a receiving door, down in a hole of sorts. The main light is above her to camera right and there is another with a purple gel sitting near her hip,
The next image that was in the running for my favorite image of 2009 is this headshot of Austin. Not many people have the ability and attitude to pull off this particular pose, a combination of suave and rebellious.. and Austin managed to channel a little of James Dean, with attitude if not look.
Dec 18
My daughter has now been bitten by the acting bug as well, making quite an impression on her drama teachers at school, even though she’s only a freshman. Of course, every actor needs a good headshot….
