The from the 2015 New Jersey State Open are expiring at the TimeLine Media proofing site! Firstly thank to the Roxanne, Susan, and Tom, the organizers who invited us to their event. As I have noted in previous posts, I appreciate all the support. Indeed they have partnered and referred us to grow our business over the years.
The ballroom for this event was very long. Besides being a great distance for my remote controls to work, it was also a large floor. Consequently, I only had lights setup on one of the short sides of the ballroom.
Finally, we wish all the dancers and organizers continued luck with their dancing endeavors! Despite this being a passion, or hobby, so much work went into this weekend. Afterwards, I had some editing and posting of the photos to finish, but it was a success. Eventually the photos will be removed, so please view them soon!
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!
Just driving through the area, it’s easy to see the soaring Tysons spaces going up into the northern Virginia sky. The team from Macerich asked if I could make some photos of the Vita Tower. This is a new luxury apartment tower opening soon next to Tysons Corner Center. It is the closest to 123, and the most visible to those passing through the area.
For these photos, I went up to the 30th floor of the Vita. Undoubtedly it is the tallest floor above Tysons right now with a view into downtown Washington, DC. On this floor are a lot of recreation areas for residents to use. There are TVs, tables, lounging chairs, and a pool. When the weather is not good, there are interior space available. There is a kitchen, bar, and lounge with TVs and views over the area. The residences in this building must be high end given that this common area had high end design all around. This will be a definite selling point for this property!
Tower Club – Tysons
Across the Tysons Corner Center from the Vita Tower is the Towers Crescent building. It was a soaring space in Tysons since the 1980s. My architect father would frequently comment about this Philip Johnson building when we were in the area. For another client request, I was given access to photograph from their outside spaces. I cannot help thinking this view will change drastically over the next few years!
