karl rothenberger photography

The Future

2012-01-15T08:18:00.000-08:00

Hopefully Alex will be a part of a future editorial. In my opinion she is the quintessential (good word right?) model. She could just as easily be doing the Urban Outfitters catalogue as walking NYFW. She also has a great personality which if you read this blog you know is what really matters to me.

a little bit country

2011-12-18T07:49:00.000-08:00

If you guessed that the CMA's were on the night before our shoot with Amanda based on the "country-esque" feel of this shoot, then you get a gold star! I love achieving goals, and one of my goals for my last trip out to LA was to shoot Amanda. I saw her layout in the last issue of Remix magazine and knew I had to shoot her. Her red hair and freckles, combined with my new found affinity for country music, and a secret lake we discovered off Mulholland drive, all added up to a story that had to be shot. 2012 is all about setting new goals. I'll check back here late next year to see if I won that Grammy for "Best New Country Artist", now all I need to do is learn how to sing and play the guitar, piece of cake.

Black Borders Are Beautiful

2011-10-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

Bought some black bordered polaroid for my shoot with Caroline. Love the imperfections, hate that I didn't buy more.

Black and White Is The New Black

2011-09-03T06:05:00.000-07:00

After seeing many of my color images floating around the internets sans color I decided to start experimenting a bit more in shades of grey. This swim shot of Alexa in black and white has more of an edge to it than it did in color. Plus I love how her eyes and her blonde hair pop against her skin tone.

Australian/American Diplomacy

2011-06-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

It was fun dressing Kendal from 'down unda' in the good old stars and stripes with the 4th of July just around the corner. I felt like I was doing my part to bridge the divide that has separated our two counties for far too long. What you say? There is no divide? That Australia is basically like America's cousin but with free health care and a seemingly endless supply of beautiful blondes? Oh well, my bad. It was still fun though, Lee Greenwood would be proud.

:D

2011-05-23T15:37:00.001-07:00

Electric Blue

2011-05-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

Ice blue eyes, and in amazing shape, Kate was a great way to end my tip out to LA. I hope she swings thru NYC sometime soon, would love to shoot her again! Plus I could totally picture her walking around in the East Village, no make-up, distressed t-shirt, sunglasses, coffee in hand. . . . . .

From Here To SI

2011-02-15T05:12:00.000-08:00

In conjunction with the release of the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, here are a few images of Kate from a recent shoot. A friend texted me last night and said, "That girl on your website is on David Letterman!" I don't get that text everyday.

Working On Being More Evil

2011-01-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

One of the coolest girls I've shot, as well as one of the sweetest! I decided to use her to develop a slightly more evil side to my photography. More evilness to come. . . . . . .

I Love LA. . . . . . . . . . We Love It!!!

2010-11-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

On my recent trip to LA I was able to shoot Katherine from Vision. Every once in awhile I shoot a girl where pretty much after the first frame I can call that look finished. Katherine was one of those girls. Every frame was unique and beautiful (I basically continued to shoot just based on force of habit). She was coming off a cold but that didn't stop her from giving a 100% during the shoot and smiling all the way through. I consider Katherine a rock-star and am just looking forward to my next trip out west so that we might be able to collaborate on an editorial. Although I feel she'll be in NY soon enough so maybe I won't have to make that trip cross country (I never made it onto LA time, for 3 weeks I woke up between 3 and 5 am :-0 !!) Here is a small sampling from one look from that day. These are pretty much un-retouched (you'll notice the binder clip in one of the shots, I thought it added a little somethin' somethin' so I left it in).

The Other Half

2010-10-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

The other half of the Ukrainian pair I photographed was Alex (her friends call her Sasha). Equally as sweet as Mariya (her friends call her Masha) but with dark hair instead of blonde. Turns out these two are with the same agency back in the Ukraine and have been friends for awhile. I think it would be cool to base a reality show on these two. Following them around Manhattan showing what it must be like to visit NYC for the first time from the point of view of two Ukrainian models. Come to think of it doing this in all different markets would be cool as well. It has everything that reality shows love, beautiful people, interesting locations, kind of like the travel channel meets americas next top model meets gossip girl. Get on that bravo! Here are some shots of the beautiful Alex (Sasha).

The Best Part

2010-09-28T06:14:00.000-07:00

It might not be that obvious, and you definitely wouldn't be able to tell from looking at the photos, but the best part about my job has to be the people I get a chance to meet. The fashion industry definitely has its stereotypes, and yes you definitely run into, let's say, "challenging" people now and again, but for the most part I've had nothing but positive experiences. Like take this past week when I got a chance to shoot two Ukrainian girls fresh off the plane and brand new to NYC. They couldn't have been sweeter and they were so excited to be here in NYC! Seeing their eyes light up when spoke about going to the Empire State Building made me want to go and check it out for myself and I live 3 blocks away and never once thought about going up to the top. I'm just glad we didn't have a conversation about Times Square. Here are a few shots of Mariya. I found out a few days later that she was totally under the weather during this shoot and no doubt massively jet-lagged as well (she flew in the day before), but you would have never known it to shoot her, total professional.

I Can See The Finish Line

2010-09-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

I am almost, almost caught up with all my re-touching. My recent trip back to Chicago to visit with family and clear my head a bit turned out to be more of a work trip than I had anticipated. I am just now finishing all the post production from that trip and right back to work here in NYC. If you want to gauge how behind I am I still haven't gotten to my taxes, FROM LAST YEAR! No worries, I filed the necessary paperwork for the extension so I have till Oct 15th which means I will be real busy the night of Oct 14th. But I wanted to post a few images of Natalia from last week. This Brazillian bombshell was a total sweetheart with a killer body as you can plainly see above. Thinking about a possible trip to Brazil this winter, you know it'll be summer there in February. . . . . . . . .

I Want To Shoot Her Again!

2010-08-08T06:19:00.000-07:00

You wouldn't know it from talking with her, (she has the sweetest, softest voice) but this girls a rock star! Always moving, trying new things, just an all around fun person to shoot. I think she's back in Germany now, but hopefully i'll get a chance to shoot her again the next time she rolls thru NYC! She was a blast!

What Can I Say, Leticia.

2010-07-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

Had the opportunity to shoot Leticia the other day. She is in the current issue of V magazine wearing a t-shirt and a rose. Wow! What a stunner, and filled with such great/positive energy! The time just flew by, and when it was all said and done, I was able to step outside my box and experiment a bit (last 2 shots pictured above). I still love soft light, but c'mon. that last one is just pure fun! ;)

A Lot Has Happened Since My Last Post!

2010-06-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

I renewed my commitment to go to the gym, then I broke said agreement, then I re-renewed said agreement. I've shot like everyday which is great until you realize all the computer work that entails, I'm like crazy behind! I'm back on caffeine as of about 4 o'clock this afternoon, 3 months was a long enough break, (a personal best I might add). Tons of other stuff happened more pertinent to photography, but unfortunately I have to get back to work so all that will have to wait till next time. Until then, here are a couple shots of Alannah from our first two looks!

What A Perfect Way To End A Perfect Day

2010-05-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

Than with none other than home-made chocolate chip cookies baked by yours truly! (home-made is kind of a stretch, I just heated them in my toaster oven, but it was still effort) They were warm and delicious and a perfect way for Ariel and I to finish our shoot. There are no words to describe what an amazing person she is, filled with life and positive energy and such a sweetheart! (well I guess technically those are all words) Nonetheless it was one of my favorite shoots of all time (and thats saying a lot because I've been fortunate to shoot some amazing girls recently). The only downside is now I'm hooked on those chocolate chips and it's getting really close to bathing suit season! Good thing I only wear a one piece.

Ignorance Is Bliss

2010-05-05T05:35:00.000-07:00

Like with Fernanda for example. When she arrived at my apartment/studio I was clueless. Clueless to the fact that she had been in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue for 4 straight years, a Victoria Secret model, has her own TV show in Brazil and about 25,000 followers on Twitter! I, knowing none of this, just treated her like any other model that makes their way up my 5 floor walkup. I first offer them a glass of water, talk a bit about how after awhile you get used to the stairs, ask them what type of music they want to listen to, then we get to work. Fernanda and I had a great time shooting together. Maybe the fact that I treated her like anyone else was refreshing to her, I don't know, but I'm making it a rule not to google anyone before I shoot them. If I would have known that she was the "Tyra Banks" of Brazil, I would have probably tried too hard and totally screwed things up! But as is the case, IMG chose like 20 some images from the shoot and who knows, I might very well develop a Brazilian following on Twitter?! First I have to figure out what a "Twitter" is. See, I told you I was clueless.

I Like Surprises

2010-04-06T06:17:00.000-07:00

Like when Sarah took my white t-shirt and decided to wear it as a complete outfit. Stretching it, pulling it, forming it into all types of organic shapes. I've never seen anyone take a shirt to that much of an extreme before. It was brilliant! I was also surprised later to find out that she is a former Maxim cover model. We don't get many of those out here in NYC. . . . . . . . . . well at least I don't.

Spring Has Sprung!

2010-03-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

You know how I can tell? In Washington DC, Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom and here in NYC I awake to the sound of jackhammers outside my window. I like to think of it as my own little March Madness. Spring also means that I will begin shooting outside again, so say goodbye to plain walls inside and hello to plain walls outside! Woohoo!!! But since its still rainy and cold for a few more days, here are a couple indoor shots of Poala @ IMG.

I've Never Been As Scared . . . . . . . .

2010-03-13T09:02:00.000-08:00

As when Kristin decided to put my ipod on shuffle! With the end of every song came the unknown, "will it be something normal like 'The Killers'?", "what will I do if one of my 'motivational books on tape' pops on? Will I run to turn it off quickly or will I laugh it off and blame it on when I lent my computer to an old roommate?", "Oh My God! I think I have a Kelly Clarkson song on there!!!" See, I told ya, scary stuff! . . . . . . . . . how lucky am I that nobody found out about that last one huh?. Fortunate for me the shuffle experiment only yielded good results, like LCD Soundsystem, The Postal Service and some old R&B, (which actually fit perfectly with the series I was shooting at the time which was soft and backlit). Whewww! Here are a few shots of Kristin from the other day. We had a great time shooting and she couldn't have been sweeter. She even folded up the clothes from the shoot before she left! How nice was that?!!! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going get back to retouching while I listen to my ipod. . . . . . . . . . . . "But since you've been gone, I can . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "

Taylor For Laila Azhar

2010-03-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

Always a great shoot when your studio shares a wall with Tortilla Flats!

A Tornado Just Hit My Apartment!

2010-02-23T12:45:00.000-08:00

Well, not exactly. But it kinda felt like it! Let's just say Lia has no trouble in the movement department, which made my job so easy that day! What sometimes could take the better part of a half hour to shoot took all of 10 minutes. Which means we were able to shoot about 5 looks in less than an hour. What was I going to do with all my free time??? Edit thats what, and post a few shots on facebook which yielded a request from Maud at Fashion Does It Better for a few shots for their site. Lia is the perfect editorial girl, free spirited and a rock star in front of the camera which means every shot is unique and uniquely Lia! I'm currently sitting at JFK waiting for my flight so I do not have all the images at my disposal, but here are a couple shots from our shoot.

Bent But Not Broken. . . . . I Hope

2010-02-12T18:06:00.001-08:00

So, during the busiest week of shooting so far this year, Fashion Week, I managed to take a fall on 7th ave (fashion ave how ironic), and totally jacked up my wrist. I contemplated re-scheduling a couple shoots since operating a camera at the time seemed out of the question. However, with a few well timed advil's and a few zip lock bags of ice, I managed to shoot Natalia from IMG, who was an absolute sweetheart and speaks fluent French! I can barely handle English good. . . . . . . see, told ya. To me, she's a dead ringer for Sienna Miller, which means that Bruce Weber will probably book her for Abercrombie before my wrist heals. I also managed to shoot Laila Azhars lookbook which turned out great and ended with a margarita from Tortilla Flats which was right next door, (how conveeeeeenient). My wrist is still a little jacked so retouching the images might take a few extra days, but here are a couple quick shots of Natalia that caught my eye.

Supreme Being

2010-02-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

Teresa from Supreme. A total sweetheart and an absolute dream to work with! Plus she hails from Munich so she gets bonus points in my book (too little representation from Germany in the industry if you ask me). I asked her to play with the shirt, tug on it, grab it, do whatever you want with it. These were only about 6% of the images we shot with this outfit, and it would be great to be able to post them all so you could see how every one was different. You can view more of her images on my site. Trust me, it was crazy hard to narrow it down to just two per look.

I Love A Great Story

2010-01-26T06:57:00.000-08:00

And Nicolette has one. Do you know where she was discovered?. . . . . . . Rest stop in Jersey. Some of us pull in for gas, others maybe grab a bite for a long road trip, Nicolette signed with IMG. Just goes to show you, there are tons of opportunities out there, and it's all about putting yourself in the right place at the right time. And in Nicolette's case, being totally sweet, 5' 10" and extremely cool both in personality and appearance didn't hurt. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to rent a car and hit the turnpike. But before I go, here is a sneak peak from our shoot last week. Very raw, very natural.

I Put My Finger On It!

2010-01-11T07:25:00.000-08:00

Finally. I couldn't quite figure it out, but after looking at these images of Dana from our shoot the other day I realized what it reminded me of. . . . . . . . . Avatar! What, you don't see it? Well maybe it's the braid, or maybe its the fact that I saw the movie twice, but whatever it is, if we painted Dana blue and instead of a dilapidated apartment we were in the forest you wouldn't be able to tell the two apart?! Oh, and the fact that Avatar is going to make a bazillion dollars. . . . . . . . . . . . but besides that I mean.

Please Sir, May I Have Some More?

2009-12-30T11:53:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, I tend to shoot so much on a girl that most images never make it to my website and wind up on the cutting room floor, (or since this isn't 1950's Hollywood, buried away on some hard drive). Like with Kaitlyn for instance. I loved this whole portion of the shoot using flash, but since it doesn't fit with the other images I have of her, and since I already feature her 3 times on my site, (4 counting the cover page), they never see the light of day! It seems a shame to go thru all that work for naught. So, from now on, a couple images that don't quite fit will have a place right here on my blog.

2009-12-28T18:12:00.001-08:00

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Caffeine Free?

2009-12-22T06:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the shortest day of the year, (which technically doesn't make any sense, but is quicker than describing the winter solstice where, based on the earth's axis in relationship to the sun, accounts for the shortest period of daylight during the calender year). . . . . . see, I told ya. Shooting a daylight story on the shortest day creates it's own challenges, like waking up at 4:30 am to catch as much of this precious daylight as possible. I survived, but had to sacrifice my caffeine free pledge in the process. I made it 3 weeks! (also, did you know that the word caffeine violates the I before E except after C rule? I just found that out!) I will post actual images from the shoot in the coming week, but as for right now, here are a couple snapshots I took of the environment surrounding the location.

Hooray For Kaitlyn And Vampires!

2009-12-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

Here are a few polaroids of Kaitlyn from IMG. We had a blast shooting yesterday, kept it real raw and undone, no makeup, no styling. I've included one image that is proper, meaning the colors are decent with no real abnormalities. The next image has this amazing red stripe along the left hand side, where it came from is anybody's guess. In the last image the shutter stayed open too long and totally gave this ghostly effect. I think it was trying to compensate for the black background, but then that doesn't explain the previous image? So lets just say ghosts did it. . . . . . . or better yet vampires, they're more popular than ghosts these days and I might capitalize on some of that twilight mania! . . . . . . . . . Kaitlyn would be perfect for the fourth twilight movie don't ya think? I also shot her digitally which will show up on my site once I go through them all. These, however, were ready now so I thought I would post them on this rainy/sleety/snowy Saturday evening in NYC.

Gobble Gobble

2009-11-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

Let's see, Thanksgiving. A day to be thankful for all that you have followed by a day to curse for all that you've spent. I tell you one thing that I'm thankful for, I'm thankful I no longer have food poisoning. Yeah, that wasn't fun. (and yes I know it looks like I've lost weight, not eating solid food for 3 days tends to do that to you). I will be spending this Thanksgiving, (as I do every Thanksgiving) evaluating where I've been, where I am, and where I see myself next year at this time. . . . . . . . oh, and re-touching. I will not be spending it with my family because 1. I just saw them last week. B. because I will see them again in 2 weeks. and 3. because they could probably use the break. Truthfully though, I am very thankful for all that I have, great family and friends and a job that I love, and I will do my best not to take them or it for granted. Now back to business. Above are some images of Jessica we took during my last trip to Chicago! . . . . . . By the way, she could be the nicest person I've ever met. Period. Plus she drives a black Jeep Wrangler, (which was my first and only car), so she gets bonus points. . . . . . man I loved that car.

Oui, It's Been Awhile

2009-11-10T12:58:00.000-08:00

Since my last post we've had 5, no make that 6 shoots. It ran the gamut from high end de-lux apartments in the sky, to an amazing motel, (that I've wanted to shoot at for over a year), where we had to pay by the hour. Both equally incredible in their own right. The high end shoot took place on Chicago's Gold Coast. We shot in the penthouse apartment complete with it's own library and a "Great" room, which, you guessed it, was very good. The subsequent shoot took place at this motel on the south side whose rooms might not have had a library, but you could rent one where the bed looks like a sandwich, and no I'm not kidding, a sandwich. The weather for both shoots was amazing for November, (70 and sunny), the kind of weather I waited all summer long for but never got. I'm in the process of re-touching all the images this week, but here are 2 samples, one from each shoot. Can you tell which ones from which location??? Also check out the fall story we shot at the beach last week here, it's entitled "L Automne A La Mer", which I thought translated into "The Car from March", but I guess translates into "Autumn by the Sea", which makes much more sense.

I Listen To The Wind

2009-10-31T18:46:00.000-07:00

I just completed my edit for this editorial we shot on Thursday. So as I get ready to head out this Halloween, I thought I'd take a few minutes to share some of my location images as well as an out-take from the shoot. It was crazy windy and cold on Thursday and the location was this beach on the near north side of Chicago. The area we shot at juts out into the lake, and as you know, Chicago is "The Windy City" and the reputation didn't disappoint. Combine that with some chilly temps and lets just say when we knew we got the shot, we were done. Period. Next outfit. I did however want to re-shoot the first look, but in looking back at the images, my first instinct was correct. . . . . but don't tell anyone from the shoot that I prolonged their exposure to the elements for no reason, that won't be received well, trust me. Here are a couple shots from my location scouting trip, along with a blurred out-take/accident from the first look. My camera focused on the tall grass for a split second blurring out Michelle. It won't work for the story, but I thought it was kinda cool, so here would be a good place to post it.

When In Rome

2009-10-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

In this case it has everything to do with the cliche and even more to do with the band! The lack of recent posts is directly proportional to the amount of visitors I had this past couple weeks. My friend Crystal was in town for the past month combined with an overlapping trip by my friend Beckett which resulted in many late nights complete with our own soundtrack! As many of you know, Shazam for the iphone is like the best invention ever! And no place do I put it to better use than at Tortilla Flats which (in my opinion) has the best soundtrack of any bar/restaurant in NYC! Crystal and I had our own theme music as we walked the Highline post Tortilla Flats listening to "The Promise" by, you guessed it, When In Rome! And yes, people did think we were nuts. By the time Beckett arrived late last week to style an editorial, our playlist for our time together was packed with songs by George McCrae, Betty Wright, King Harvest and Tommy James. Thanks again Tortilla! (although you do owe me one umbrella, but I'll let it slide since our table did dominate trivia Sunday night and your tequila reserve is no doubt a little depleted as a result). Here are some pics from our NYC adventures, and I'll add some songs to my playlist below. Notice the flame in that last image. Crystal wanted a drink "on fire", what was crazy about it was not the fact that she wanted a drink "on fire", but that none of us actually saw the flame with our eyes, but when we looked at the picture I took, the camera caught it as it quickly vanished into thin air! . . . . . . what, you're not amazed? well, I'm easily amused, what can I say.

Where Has Summer Gone?

2009-10-12T04:48:00.000-07:00

The answer? It has moved to Australia, thus beginning my attempt to secure an apartment "down under" come Jan, Feb, or March. My goal is simple. Move to Australia for 2 months. Establish good connections with Australian agencies and magazines. Soak up as much culture and sun as one can. . . . . oh, and learn how to surf in the process. I would like to use my LA template to complete this mission. My LA template consisted of "life swapping" as I swapped lives with my friend Courtney for a month where she stayed in my apt in Manhattan, and I stayed at her place in Venice Beach. Both sides came out winners in the end. She was able to go on castings here in NY and not have to stay at a cramped models apt, and I was able to live a few blocks from the beach in LA and shoot in a nice warm climate with different environments as my backdrop. So, if you are a currently living in Australia (Sydney), and are looking to establish connections either in the photography or model industry here in NYC, (because that's really the only 2 places I can probably be of service) shoot me an email and I would be happy to discuss any and all of the particulars of a possible 2 month "life swap".

Jacked

2009-09-27T16:14:00.000-07:00

Until Tuesday, I had never been to Jack's Studio over on the west side. An amazing space at the 601 building that brought me out again Thursday night for a photo exhibition/party. I thought the views during the day were great, but at night, they couldn't have been better. I took the first photo with my iphone using the Helge feature from Camera Bag. I shot it though the window towards the Empire State building, but something cool happened, it decided to partially reflect back into the studio giving this cool inside/outside effect. The other photo was part of the photobooth set up at the studio complete with a ringlight! I tell ya, when photographers have a photobooth they go all out.

Do You Have A Passion For Fashion?

2009-09-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, that title was meant to sound corny. . . . but then again saying something "sounds corny" also sounds pretty lame. . . . whatever, let's begin again. This is the first season I elected not to document ny fashion week. However, this freed up all kinds of time to take part in all the festivities that I was always too exhausted to enjoy. Like Fashions Night Out, which meant hopping from shop to shop in Soho and enjoying a drink or three among individuals like Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang and Philip Lim! Or last evenings party for Metal magazine which brought out all the beautiful and funky people from Barcelona and Madrid! Too bad my friends Aina and Pol were back in Spain, I miss those two. (By the way, look for my portrait of artist Nick Cave in the next issue of Metal!) But it wasn't all fun and games. When I wasn't "out and about" this week, I was in front of the computer for hours on-end re-touching and finalizing Laila Azhar's lookbook shoot as well as a shoot I did with Dierdre from Elite. Above you will find a few samples from that shoot. I'm starting to work a little more in B&W these days. I find I can really blow out the whites and create some nice softness. Look for more black and white images in the next few months.

Alexandra For Laila Azhar

2009-09-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

Alex was the first girl we saw at the casting for Laila's Spring 2010 lookbook. After she left I told Laila that if Alex had grown up in my neighborhood in Chicago, an 8 yr old Karl would have had the biggest crush on her. Then proceeded to tell her the story of how when I was about 6, I had a crush on this Italian girl from my neighborhood who was about 13 I guess. When she and her friends would walk around the neighborhood I would be walking with my mom and ask my mom if she could walk about 10 feet behind me so I would look "cool" walking all by myself. A few weeks later I wound up giving her all my dad's gold cuff links because they were shiny and had jewels in them. Her mom returned them the next day. I actually saw her a few weeks ago when I was back in Chicago and you know what, I think I still have a little crush on her. . . . . but don't worry, I didn't give her any men's jewelry, I learned my lesson the first time.

Now For Some "Me" Time

2009-09-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

Generally speaking, my blog, (or journal as I like to call it), is a way for me to force feed the internet my ideas, photos, and a little behind the lens glimpse of my day-to-day. Rarely does the opportunity present itself that someone actually petitions this information from me. But such was the case when Shut Up magazine (how ironic) asked me to share my thoughts on their Talk Tuesday section. I was honored and obliged their request here.

Jaime J

2009-08-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

Jaime was an absolute pleasure to shoot! (I think the sentence I used when talking to her agent was "I would shoot her any day of the week and twice on Sundays!") She is a stunner in person, not to mention she had the best personality, (which as you know from reading my blog, is one of, if not the most important thing to me when shooting). Granted, if you are already with an agency, chances are you have the necessary physical traits. Personality then separates the men from the boys, (or the women from the girls I guess). I was also impressed with how well she moved! For someone who I believe only tested once before, she rocked! Looking forward to my next editorial here in Chicago, Jaime is definitely on my short short list.

Croatians and Italians

2009-08-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

My neighborhood is pretty much half Croatian and half Italian, and no other weekend exemplifies that point more than this one. See Aug 15th is a big Croatian holiday, and every year I make the pilgrimage back to Chicago to celebrate with my family. My house is ground zero for my extended family because it's situated along the parade route. Mom puts out an amazing spread of food, and for the next 5 days I eat like a king! The following day is the St Rocco parade, (picture the parade scene in Godfather 2 where Vito shoots Don Fanucci). Unfortunately this year the skies opened up just as the statue of Saint Rocco was right in front of my house, (you can see the guys protecting the statue in the last photo). It really poured! I offered my friend Dino, (who hopped out of the parade route to come over and say hi to my mom and I), safety in my house, but he made a run for the Italian cookie store on the corner where everyone else ducked for cover and no doubt enjoyed a few biscotties in the process (they are amazing!). (I love my niece Lauren's face in that third photo, she was none too pleased to have to wait for the parade to get here) p.s. My friend Frankie said I was slacking in my journal posts, so Frank, this one's for you and Frank Sr. Enjoy!

Cece @ IMG

2009-08-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

Where do I begin with this one. . . . . . Cecelia was amazing!!! Even her mom was cool! (she brought me a present to say thank you. . . . . . it made my day!) This was only her third or fourth test and she rocked! She even brought some of her own amazing pieces to wear that she bought from a vintage store in Brooklyn. I can never find anything in those places! Hopefully I'll have a cool editorial to shoot where I can use her before everyone else discovers her. So don't tell anybody about her OK? Good. Now that that's settled, you can find the above images, as well as a few polaroids from the shoot on my website.

She Shines With Her Own Kind Of Light

2009-08-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

Rachel is from Kentucky (thus the title), and we had such a great time shooting the other day. It was rather steamy outside, but we did manage to shoot at this little basketball court near my apt. Otherwise, it was an A/C kinda day. After the shoot she wrote me an hilarious story about how she broke her heel down in the East Village and had to decide whether to walk barefoot or don her 4 inch heels as she made her way back home. I hope she wore the heels, sometimes even flip flops around NYC can be sketchy. I remember when I lost a flip down the sewer on the corner of 1st and 1st (the nexus of the universe). I basically hopped around on one leg till a cab stopped for me. . . . Oh and then there was the time I had to walk barefoot through Port Authority. . . . . it's pretty safe to wash your feet with bleach right?

I Know, I Know

2009-08-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

I know it's not "cool" to post images of girls smiling. I know everyone is supposed to look depressed and vapid all the time (I think I'm using that word correctly). But sometimes it's fun to show how a simple clothing or hair/make-up change can transform a sweet girl like Melissa, into a total "downtown" rockstar! This was her second shoot ever, and although we made an attempt to shoot outside, I'm pretty sure everyone is in agreement that looking all sweaty is probably always "not cool". So all our best work came indoors with the AC on full blast. Seriously, how cool is her hair?! We tried to convince her that she should wear her hair like that all the time. She pretty much looked at us like we were crazy.

Beauty and Brains

2009-07-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

Kelly pretty much has it all. 5' 10", alabaster skin (which I think means white), red hair, green eyes, and is wicked smart (she told me what she did but honestly, it went right over my head. . . . . has to do with curing disease or robots or something). We had a great time shooting and she's super cool! She was also an Irish dancer, which inevitably brings up my first high school dance experience where this Irish dancer asked this skinny dork (who shall remain nameless) to the dance. A few weeks later she was dancing on the Tonight Show and in the movie Backdraft and yadda yadda yadda I never heard from her again! But thats all water near a bridge.

And Seriously,

2009-07-19T20:09:00.001-07:00

can she have a more perfect smile???

An Island Off The Coast Of Chicago?

2009-07-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

Yes. What once was an airport, is now a wildflower sanctuary that is a stones throw from my family home in Chicago. Notice the stone slabs Blaine is sitting on? Yeah, that was once the runway. Pretty cool if you ask me. Big thanks to our mayor for giving us such a convenient, beautiful and interesting location to shoot at in Chicago! Now back to the shoot. This was Blaine's first test ever! And I must say she rocked! It was freezing cold near the lake yesterday, and she endured the cold and gave me exactly what I was looking for and then some. Some are just naturals in front of the camera. Blaine is one of them.

Calling Me Home

2009-07-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

Chicago is. Ever since the aviation gods canceled my flight I've been finding it harder and harder to leave. "Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in." Quick, name that movie. . . . . My extended stay in Chicago has been filled with work, an interview, play, family and more work. Tonight I'm taking the niece and nephews to a classical music concert in Millennium Park featuring music inspired by classic children's stories. And Friday I hope to shoot a story at Northerly island which I discovered during my bike adventures with Katie pictured in this post. Although, it looks like my travels outside NYC will be coming to a close soon. I have to get back to work on an editorial for this magazine from Argentina, and take care of some business before, yes, I come back to Chicago in August. (You can only stay away for so long). . . . . . . oh, and the answer is "The Godfather".

Karl Karma

2009-07-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

So I'm all scheduled to fly back to NYC yesterday, when I get an offer to stick around a few more days to work here in Chicago. I was on the fence about it because I started looking at flights back to NYC around the 4th and they were crazy expensive, not to mention the change of flight fee! So I slept on it, emailed a few people, and decided I couldn't pass up the opportunity even if I wound up breaking even. As I went to change my flight, I saw an email from Jet Blue stating they were canceling my flight, thus no increase in fare cost as well as no cancellation fee. Looks like someone out there made up my mind for me, and saved me $500 in the process! This allowed me to take my niece and nephews to see Transformers today, and the circle of karma continues. . . . . . Above is an out-take from a story I'm workin' on that I shot at the lily pond from the previous post. What a perfect day, with an amazing location and a fantastic team!

Back to Reality, Back To Life

2009-06-22T02:16:00.000-07:00

Now that my "staycation" is over, it's time to get to back to reality, which means work, work, and more work, (someones got to pay for those lattes I drink and those kimono's I wear!) I'm shooting a story for this cool pair of stylists who started their own online retail store. I scouted the location on Friday, and we are having a fitting today at 2pm, (that is of course if I'm still awake, see I've been up since 2am, not a great way to start out the week). I wish I could say I'm still jet-lagged from LA, but if you think about it, that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, so I won't even mention it. The location for our shoot is great! This great lily pond up on the northside, above you will find some snapshots. . . . . . . . I never thought that all those hours wandering the streets of Chicago by myself as a child would one day pay off! Unfortunately, many of the coolest spots I know to shoot at in various cities would probably require police protection. Like I told a girl the other day, "Wanna find the seediest parts of any city? Find the nearest photographer and just ask them where the best places are to shoot. You'll get your answer."

Adios Amigos

2009-06-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

Today is the day I say goodbye to LA. I've spent a good deal of time at the beach, drinking coffee, and seeing old friends. . . . . . . . oh yeah, and working a bit too. Now it's off to sweet home Chicago, for some family time, a few neighborhood festivals. . . . . . oh yeah, and more work. A huge thank you to my friend Courtney for letting me stay at her apt in Santa Monica!!! What a sweetheart. Here are a few random pictures from my trip. A few notes, the palm tree one is the park I walked thru everyday to get my morning cup of coffee. The rose bush one was just a shot to show how weeds grow out here. The coffee pic is my morning cup from Urth Cafe. The last one is from poolside at The Roosevelt Hotel.

Sooooooo LA

2009-06-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

Last week was filled with things that were very "LA". Like having breakfast with Rosario Dawson? (OK, we didn't technically have breakfast together, but we were in the same room and I was having breakfast). And drinks with that guy from Entourage? (OK again, I was drinking he was standing outside, but we're splitting hairs now). I did however go out to Balboa Island where Arrested Development was supposed to take place! (Although they technically filmed it in Marina Del Ray). OK fine. My week had absolutely nothing to do with everything LA, especially my shoot with Hannah. She couldn't BE more New York, and I expect to see her land there this summer.

My New Reality

2009-05-31T21:43:00.000-07:00

This week started like any other week. Snake charmer-contortionist belly dancer's, reality show star photo-shoots, a drive through Compton at 1:30 am, you know, the usual. That last one was a doozy which involved a night out downtown and the LAPD! This week ended on a much quieter note, with an amazing brunch at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market, followed by some re-touching and a long nap before some laundry. (Let's call this past week the yin and the yang of LA). Above are a couple shots from my shoot on Thursday.

Topanga Daze

2009-05-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

See what I did there? I spelled days d a z e. So clever. Memorial day weekend was filled with sun and fun and sun and more sun, (I'm currently a nice shade of maroon). These images were taken at this festival up in Topanga Canyon. It was totally my speed and I got a chance to re-live a little of my college days. My favorite part was seeing all the hippie kids. When I have kids I would totally try and dress them up like little flower children. There was a girl there, probably a few years older than my niece, with total dreads and a long flow-y dress. She was cooler at 10 years old than I'll ever be. I mean dread locks at her age?! Amazing. There were 3 stages of live music and tons of food and drink. I need to make a mental note for next year.

Hollywood

2009-05-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

Agents, photographers, meeting in the back corner table at a Hollywood hotspot, brokering future deals over seared Ahi and Gin Gimlet's. Now let's see if I can get Leo to play me in the movie. We both drive a Prius?! Last night was a blast and I finally got a chance to meet Zoey whom I've emailed and facebooked for about a year. She will soon be the one-to-watch photographer in NYC. But as for right now, she's lighting up the west coast. The perfect mix of talent and nice. I see great things. Above you will find my friend Steve and Brian showing the proper way to pose for the camera. You will also find Meg and Zoey showing how not to. Since when do beautiful women NOT like having their picture taken?!

West Side

2009-05-18T07:44:00.000-07:00

Flew out to La for some good ol' fashion "work and relaxation", (I think "rest and relaxation" is overrated besides being redundant). Everyone out here is really in the movie industry! By the way, what is a "treatment" and why did the super-shuttle guy want me to see his? Anyway, I sat by the window during my flight (which I never do), and managed to snap a few shots along the way. According to the in-flight GPS, the one is of the Grand Canyon, the other is of some mountains neard Colorado, and the third is my breakfast yesterday morning (the GPS didn't help with that one). I also experienced a 5.0 earthquake last night which they say is "moderate", I thought it was way cool! but very weird.

Favorite Fashion Blog Name?

2009-05-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

"Hero In Chiq". . . . . . . . . it doesn't hurt that they regularly feature some of my work ;) One of my favorite parts about surfing "the internets" is when I stumble upon one of my images that other people either think is cool, or use for their own inspiration. Thank you, it makes my day.

Country Bumpkins

2009-05-11T06:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days since my last post. Tons of traveling, New York, Chicago, then off to LA for a month! In the middle I shot Mackenzie who you may know from the opening page of my website. We managed to find the only warm/sunny day to shoot, which is a good thing cause we were shooting bathing suits outdoors on a farm! As anybody either in the midwest or northeast can tell you, warm weather has been hard to come by this year, so I felt fortunate to find the sunny needle in a haystack! (pun intended) We were lucky enough to shoot at my cousins property in Michigan which has this amazing old barn complete with an old Ford "el camino" like car outback. We were also fortunate enough to be able to shoot at this nearby former boy scout camp. Amazing! Thanks Beckett!! I'm going to be working on the images this next week, but in the meantime, here are some behind-the-scenes shots.

I Don't Like

2009-05-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

The fact that I have to wear a scarf today, not because its cool, but because it's cold.

California Love

2009-05-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

I will be heading to LA mid May for about a month! So look for me at the all the cool spots like Spago and The Viper Room!. . . . . . . it's been awhile since I've been out there. Looking forward to seeing all my LA friends and getting a chance to work in the sun.

Rock Rock Rock

2009-04-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

So I went scouting today. My plan was to hit up a beach town in NJ, however, when I realized it was gonna cost me roughly $100 just to get there and back, I opted for a free trip on the subway to Rockaway Beach. It takes about 2 hours to get there, but it was actually really cool once I started to do some exploring. Most of the cool, worn/distressed stuff I like was at Jacob Riis Park. The building itself has gone through somewhat of a renovation, and you can tell they've been working on improvements, but the untouched areas are the ones I like so I took some photos and here they are. Remember, this was just a scouting trip, so these pics are meant just to remind me of what was there, no fine art criticism please.

Here's Your Future

2009-04-19T17:21:00.000-07:00

When you listen to The Thermals and you do your edit you get this. A sneak peak at an upcoming ed. (Remember, most songs I reference can be found on my playlist).

A Rainy Sunday

2009-04-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

Too bad I'm already done with all my post-production on my shoots. I do have other work to do however, (there is always other work to do). But, before I tackle those monsters here are a couple shots of Cindy.

Home. Home Again. I Like to Be Here When I Can.

2009-04-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

Last night I completed, (for the most part), re-touching all the images from my previous 10 shoots here in Chicago. Obviously from the title, I was listening to Dark Side Of the Moon by Pink Floyd during that process. I find that the music I listen while re-touching dictates the direction the images take. The darker the music, the darker the feel of the images. I'm not sure how it is for other photographers, but I have to get in this whole zen-like state, especially for the initial edit. If I'm not in the right mood I'll totally overlook images that could be amazing with the right crop etc. On a side note, for some reason Pearl Jam's "Given To Fly" is like the best song for editing "on-camera" flash images. I don't know why, I haven't really listened to Pearl Jam since the album 10, but something about that song fits the feel of "on-camera" flash edits. I put it on repeat and edit away, the next time I look up at the clock it's about an hour later, and I've been listening to the same song that whole time. . . . . . . I'm weird.

Location Scouting

2009-04-12T07:23:00.001-07:00

Here are some images from my trip yesterday to location scout for an upcoming editorial. Notice the writing on the barn and the creepy crosses in the yard. Something tells me they are not going to be receptive to my ideas for the story.

Birthday Bowling Bash Redux

2009-04-11T07:46:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated my nephew Erik's birthday with a good old fashioned bowling party. Here is a shot of my nephew Karl and I as I teach him my "mad" bowling skills, (I was on a league ya know), as well as a shot of him sans me with his own unique finishing form. Today I'm off to scout locations for an upcoming editorial. Monday I'm scouting some old hotels along the once famous Route 66 for another shoot that I hope to complete this trip.

NIA Backstage

2009-04-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

James from New Industry Arts asked if I would contribute to their backstage collection. Click here, then click launch in the backstage section, then click me!

;-)

2009-04-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

On a cold, dreary, snowy, Sunday evening in Chicago, out-takes from Katie's shoot make me smile.

My Niece Would Love This Sweatshirt!

2009-04-04T17:01:00.000-07:00

Too bad it only comes in adult sizes. But it looks great on Katie, who is half Cherokee half Polish. Which means not only can she go to any University she wants to, she can also probably make a mean Pirogi! After our shoot I dropped her off at the airport where she is flying back to Florida. Am I jealous? Yep! It is supposed to snow here for the White Sox home opener. . . . . . I hear that you can get a great deal on a condo down in Miami. . . . . . I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

Knight Cat

2009-04-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm here to divulge a little secret. Sometimes, in a pinch, I have to style my own shoots. So I look to the web for inspiration on what's current and I always check out Knight Cat's blog. Her style seems to be my style: jeans, tank tops, cut offs, vintage and a little rock and roll. So how flattered was I when Cat asked if she could post some of my images on her blog! You can check it out here.

Finito

2009-04-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday concluded a round of shooting at my "vintage" apartment in Chicago. What a way to complete the send off than with Shara who is half Indian, half Irish, and 100 % sweet! I went all "film noir" with her last look, capturing what I think is how the apt should have been utilized in the first place. Dark, moody, yet somehow dreamy (or nightmare-y). Thanks to everyone who made this week such a success. As previously stated, if you need me, I'll be on the computer.

Not Polaroid

2009-04-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

"Don't call it polaroid", I keep telling myself. "It's instant film". Fuji makes and "instant film" camera that produces a nice 4 by 6 format image. Drawback, even though you tell it not to use flash, it uses it anyway, and as far as I can tell, there's no way around it. On the plus side, when it uses the flash it produces a pretty cool result, (in my opinion). Here is part of my "instant film" experiment with Cindy yesterday.

2009-03-27T11:25:00.001-07:00

Erin Wasson for RVCA Fall 09 Collection

My Kind Of Town

2009-03-20T10:54:00.001-07:00

Heading to Chicago on Monday for work and multiple birthdays. Saw this at ffffound and thought it was a cool map of the neighborhoods. I'll be back in mid April, hopefully the snow will have stopped by then and we can get back to shooting outside and hitting up Habana Outpost in Fort Greene. Did someone say frozen Mojito?

Smile ;-)

2009-03-17T13:05:00.002-07:00

Somewhere in Eastern Europe there's a photo of yours truly floating around someones facebook page. I wonder if I'll ever see it?

Fun, Natural, Fun.

2009-03-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

So I'm finally free to work on the images from Fashion Week and I ran across these little nuggets from backstage at Trovata. Now bear in mind, while this is all happening I'm just snapping away, hoping to get images where the models are in focus and in frame, but really not knowing what I'll get. That is until I went through them today. I like shows where people seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves. None of these actions were prompted by me, these were all unprovoked.

Dramatic Chipmunk

2009-03-10T16:36:00.001-07:00

Because I gave you not such great news yesterday.

Nothing To Do With Photography

2009-03-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

So you were wondering how we got in this mess? People talk about predatory lending, deregulation, investment banks paying off politicians to loosen restrictions on margin requirements, the repeal of Glass-Steagall, sub-prime mortgages with balloon interest payments etc etc. Well, we're not even close to getting out of it. According to this graph, the avg home price, adjusted for inflation, needs to come down about another 50%. In the mean time, rent. (graph c/o lesjones.com)

Charo Sneak Peak

2009-03-06T16:03:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple shots of Charo from our shoot this past week. She had the most beautiful skin! If I shot beauty she would be a godsend. So all you beauty photographers, snatch her up, you won't be disappointed.

California Dreamin'

2009-03-03T12:30:00.000-08:00

As New Yorkers dig out from 10 inches of snow, these two got out of Dodge just in time to return back to sunny California. But before they did, we got a chance to shoot some beautiful soft images pre-snow storm. Am I jealous that they are probably sipping Chai Tea outside at Urth Cafe while I just froze my nose trying to grab some Mexican take-out? You betcha! But on the brighter side, the new Nylon just came out, pick up a copy today for work by yours truly!

Polaroid of Yulia

2009-03-01T17:42:00.000-08:00

Finally got around to scanning my polaroids of Yulia. The Pro Cam has an on-camera flash. So hi-tech!

Polaroid Of Hailey

2009-02-27T11:28:00.000-08:00

Here is a polaroid I shot of Hailey the other day. When the light bounces off the window of this building on the East River you get this amazing reflected light that only lasts for a short time around 5 pm. I shot this with a Polaroid Pro Cam camera that I borrowed from my Aunt Mary in Chicago. Thanks Auntie Mar!

Laine For Laila Azhar

2009-02-22T18:21:00.000-08:00

Shot Laine on Friday. I'm not big enough to have a "muse", but if I was, I think Laine would be my "muse". I get such a kick out of that girl, she's hilarious and so friendly, not to mention a little sarcastic which I love. Look for Laila's collection next to Alexander Wang at Barneys.

Day 7 Fin.

2009-02-20T06:25:00.000-08:00

Completed Fashion Week this season with an always fun backstage to cover Kai Kuhne. His dog always creates for some interesting shots (although maybe not particularly evident in this one, but I have others). The day began with Unrath and Strano with some beautiful, ornate gowns. I caught up with Alexandra who I shot about a year ago and is a total sweetheart. Next was Macqua where I introduced myself to Nika whose sister Erika I shot a couple weeks back. More Chicago girls making it big in the big apple. Alexina was also there, she recently got the Burburry campaign which, considering she's from England, probably makes her somewhat of a celebrity back home (both her and Nika are featured giving me the peace sign). Then it was on to Kai's show. Always kinetic and cool, I have a ton of images to go through, but here are a few of the designer and his pooch.

Day 6 (addendum)

2009-02-19T05:50:00.000-08:00

Some people are a little confused by the image of the blonde in the previous post. Here is a wider shot of what was going on when I took it. I originally thought that if I waited for the guy to bring his arm down that would make for a better shot. However, now that I look at it, I think I like this one better, kinda gives some context. Now that that's cleared up I must get ready for a big day of shows!

Day 6 (almost done)

2009-02-18T18:28:00.000-08:00

See for me, tomorrow is my last day documenting Fashion Week. Friday I have to shoot Laila Azhar's Fall collection that I shot last season with Rachel, and guess who I ran into today backstage at Michael Angel? Rachel! That's her in the black dress with the pink lips. Then it was on to Juan Carlos Obando over on the west side. I think I have 4 shows tomorrow and that will conclude A/W 2009.

Day 5

2009-02-18T07:01:00.000-08:00

The Day started with the debut collection by Allison Parris. The backstage area was kinda tight, so I concentrated on catching some moments of the designer as it was her first collection, kind of an important moment if you ask me. From her smile it looks like it was a success. Then I ran into Minh from Nylon on Spring St. Look for my work in their March issue. Next was on to the Trovata show. Now I love Trovata. My favorite jacket of all time is my Trovata black corduroy sport coat. I wear it constantly (you can even see part of it in the picture of me atop this page). So it was fun to get a sneak peak at their new collection. I also got a chance to un into Polina and Elyse from Ford pre-debraiding. I see these 2 everywhere! They are so sweet. Then on to A Detacher where I ran into Heather who I shot for my Nylon story. Coincidence seeing both Minh and Heather on the same day? Yes.

Day 4

2009-02-16T16:33:00.000-08:00

So after, what is this like 5 seasons?, I finally learned how to do it right. Yesterday I had a show near Soho, so I ate at Cafe Noir. Today I had a show down on Washington and Bank St., so I had lunch at Tortilla Flats. Now all they need to do is schedule some shows in Brooklyn and I'll be able to hit up all my other favorite lunch spots. Today started at Organic in the basement of an old church with that amazing Albino model everyone is talking about. Next was Ideeen that had some super cool bleached denim (not featured here). Then a much needed lunch break before heading to Generra where it was packed with Ford girls (Andressa featured here).

Day 3 (quickie)

2009-02-15T18:06:00.000-08:00

Today was probably the best day of shooting so far. There were Ford girls everywhere!!! It was nice to see so many friendly faces at all the shows. I even had time to swing by Cafe Noir for lunch! Now how often am I going to be able to say that this week. I don't know who the girl with the orange lips is yet, but if angels had faces. . . . . (wait, angels do have faces). . . . . . well, she had the face of an angel is what I'm trying to say. All in all 3 great experiences today, Jeremy Laing, Twinkle and Carlos Campos where I believe we had a Kanye sighting.

Day 2

2009-02-15T06:49:00.000-08:00

One of the coolest things about Fashion Week is that you never know what your going to encounter before you encounter it. Except at the tents in Bryant Park, then you know there will be massive numbers of photographers and ugly white plastic, or black felt backgrounds. Yuk. Day 2 resulted in catching up with old friends at Ohne Titel and Karen Walker. Making some new friends at Frank Tell, and capturing some cool colorful moments at Elise Overland. My only regret is that I was running late to Elise's show, that would have been the one to get there early for. The clothes were way hot!

Day 1 (quickie)

2009-02-14T07:25:00.000-08:00

I don't have much time to post this morning because I have to run, but here are a few shots from Rachel Comey as well as a beauty shot backstage at Charlotte Ronson.

Yulia

2009-02-12T14:58:00.001-08:00

Here are a couple shots from my shoot with Yulia yesterday (look 1). She was so sweet. When she left, I noticed she had folded all the clothes and turned them outside in (as opposed to inside out). Often they wind up in a pile on my bathroom floor every which way. See, I told you, sweet.

New Face

2009-02-04T07:41:00.000-08:00

To me, Allaire epitomizes the term "new face". She has a new look, classic yet somehow ahead of it 's time, with amazing features, and of course is "new" (this was her first test ever). I'm looking forward to see what other photographers do with her. I think I was quoted telling her agent she has "superstar written all over her", I hope I'm right, she is such a sweetheart.

Yay! Everyday

2009-02-01T10:55:00.000-08:00

So I signed on to cover fashion week for one more season. An Italian photo agency has asked me to document backstage for them so it's time to re-focus my brain into "reportage" mode. This has caused me to revisit some of my work from previous seasons and I stumbled upon this site on the web. I forgot how much I liked shooting these blurred images! They seemed to like the result enough to post one as their sample image of my work, so I guess the images aren't half bad. The person who made the post is an extremely talented artist! I sense a certain "Schiele" influence in some of her art which I love! Anyway, check it out for yourself here!

Yay Hooray!

2009-01-28T10:57:00.000-08:00

In honor of the revelation that a group of investors, comprising former employees at Polaroid, have begun the process of buying the technology and equipment to once again make our beloved Polaroid film, I've created a portfolio on my website dedicated to said polaroid. You can find it here . And for information on "The Impossible Project" go here.

Variety Is A Spice

2009-01-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple more samples of Allaire using 3 different light sources. I think it's important for a girls first test to give her some variety. But then again, that's just me. And if you really want variety, check out ffffound.com. The link is to your right.

Erika

2009-01-25T18:28:00.000-08:00

I love re-touching while listening to Journey via Pandora. You never know whats going to happen. Could that be Queen? What's next, Bon Jovi? Sweet! I must admit, when I started editing Erika's images it felt more Wilco, (which often yields Mason Jennings) so thats what I'm listening to now. But the night is still young! I'm doing all this via my laptop, so if the colors are screwy I apologize. I'll be back in NY in a week.

Allaire

2009-01-24T02:48:00.000-08:00

I'm going to compile a list of the top names in the model industry. Not as in who are the top models, but in who has the best names. Like Allaire for instance. She is brand new and has the coolest look, and an equally cool name to match. This girl is definitely going to be "one to watch" in the seasons ahead. Here is a polaroid from her very first test.

From Down Under

2009-01-14T16:30:00.000-08:00

Here is a polaroid of Stacey from Melbourne. I always ask the models what they like to listen to during the shoot. Most of the time its "anything but country". Stacey on the other hand was very specific, "Queen" she said. So it was all classic rock during our shoot which was a nice change of pace from my usual depressing indie rock, (i mean, you can only feel sorry for yourself for so long). We had a blast and she is such a sweetheart. Although I must admit, I didn't get some of the colloquialisms, it took me awhile to realize that "acadaca" was Australian for AC/DC.