Last month, there were two 2016 Spring Fashion shows at Tysons Corner Center. Similar to previous ones, the Lord and Taylor location supplied the clothing for models. Directly in front of their location, a runway was setup. In addition, they had a branded step and repeat at one end of the carpet.
Again for this show, I set up one large flash at the end of the runway. Seeing that the models walk quickly down the long walkway, I needed to carefully select when to flip the shutter. The recycle time of the flashes was slower by comparison to brighter ambient areas. Although the amount I shot was lower than usual, I had a high number of keepers. Sometimes it helps to be limited by gear!
Earlier in the year, I was contacted by Andrew Roby Events to do a bridal shoot in DC. On this occasion we met at Malmaison near Georgetown. Given that I have photographed a couple of events for Andrew previously, I was excited about this event!
Andrew shows through these photos what an excellent event planner can do. For this reason, he setup an entire wedding reception table complete with linens, tableware, decorations, and dessert! Not only was the room setup, but he had two models to stand in as bride and groom!
In effect, he prepared an entire wedding reception at Malmaison in DC for this shoot. While this shows what he can do from a design standpoint, it also shows the capabilities of his team. Given that this was a completely empty restaurant room, he produced a beautiful space for a reception. In the event that you would are planning a wedding or corporate event in the area, Andrew and his team should be the first call you should make!
Since I have an upcoming group fashion shoot, I wanted to revisit a solo session from last year. The first time I met Kyle McKay, he was a model at a fashion show in Springfield, Virginia. At this time, I was very new to photographing fashion shows. While there may be a lot of events in the area, I ran into Kyle at a couple of them as he worked hard at gaining experience. In getting to know him, he was very ambitious in pursuing more fashion projects, though he was collaborative with everyone involved. So when I wanted to expand by studio portfolio, I reached out to him.
In the time since we last saw each other, Kyle and his friend, Mehr started a styling and makeup company, M&K Productions. When we planned to do a portfolio shoot, both of them came to the studio. Mehr worked her makeup talents to create a professional look for his headshots. Initially, these were a great example of their professional styling. For executives that need updated professional portraits, this look is nicely even.
After making some ‘standard’ headshots, I had what I needed for my portfolio. Since we had time, I asked Mehr if she wanted to do something crazy. Because they also have a theatrical painting service in their company, she asked if she could really do something crazy. Of course, I said, ‘Yes!’ So she created this blackbird-inspired look on Kyle’s face. This is a markedly different look from his professional headshot!
Lastly, I changed up the background with lighting. The black background was working, but sometimes his hair would get lost. When I asked the room for suggestions, red was the consensus! So I put a red gel on a flash, and put it on the background. It was a really enjoyable shoot with these two, and I look forward to future shoots together! If you have any ideas that you would like to work on, please contact me. I am looking for more collaborations in the studio!