New Portraits: Gabryal Rabinowitz

I always know it's going to be a great shoot on a day that I'm working with Gabryal; He's wonderfully charming, undeniably handsome, and one of the most genuine human beings I've had the pleasure of knowing. On top of all that, he's a truly amazing actor, so when he asked me to work with him on creating some new and improved headshots for him, I couldn't have been more excited. Casting directors, take note and check out his phenomenal website!

We chose to try for a more GQ-eqsue aesthetic and stylized portraits, and I am so thrilled with how they turned out! We elected to experiment with using a ring light in some of the shots, and I think it worked wonders for bringing out the texture in the velvet suit he wore for the first part of our shoot. It was an adventure using a new light that is not a normal piece of my lighting kit, but I absolutely love the results it produced. My favorites by far however are the sunset shots we created at the end of the day after scaling to the roof of my apartment building. We couldn't have asked for a more vibrant and beautiful sunset, and it paired spectacularly with his wardrobe; serendipity at its finest.

It's always such a joy to work with your friends, and I am so fortunate that I've been able to work with Gabryal for so many years now; here's to many more in the future!

IndieWorks: Best of Fest 2015!

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of photographing IndieWork's Best of Fest 2015, and it certainly did not disappoint. A great event that allows indie filmmakers an opportunity to have a more personal interaction with their audience, IndieWorks gives up-and-coming directors a safe and inviting space to share passion projects, personal creations, and indie films with the local community. It's a sure bet that you can find me there every month to see the beautiful films being shown, and I love every minute of it. Not only is it a fabulous professional network to branch into, but it has also afforded me the opportunity to make many wonderful friends which I am forever grateful for. 

I was elated when one of my personal favorites from the past year, Q.U.E.E.N., written and directed by Brittany Fennell, won the coveted Golden Whiskers Award this year, and it could not be more deserved. The  talented Hye Yun Park took home the Audience Choice Award for her wonderfully funny web series Hey Yun, and there's no question as to why the audience loved it. Here are some of my favorite moments from the night, and be sure to come join us at the next screening on June 10th!

The VelociPastor!

If you read my blog with any regularity, it's no secret that I work on film sets often, and that it's one of my favorite places to work. I love my film-family, it's such a large and supportive community that I am unbelievably blessed to be a part of, and so I try to return the favor as often as possible. That's why I'm so excited to share with you news on the newest project some of my best friends are working on, The VelociPastor! 

Illustration by Wyeth Yates

Illustration by Wyeth Yates

The film is written and (to-be) directed by my fabulous friend Brendan Steere, whose previous feature, Animosity, not only received global distribution, but was also well-received enough to show at many film festivals in the last year, including Fantasia, where it screened alongside Guardians of the Galaxy and Boyhood. It also won Best Picture and Best Actress at the Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival in 2013; As you can clearly see, he definitely knows how to make a good movie.

Originally a spoof trailer of epic comedic proportions, Brendan's finally ready to develop VelociPastor into a full-length feature of dark humor, and I for one could not be more excited about it. If you want to see the concept's origin, you can check it out below.

Not only is it retaining Matt Ziegel from the original short as the lead and VelociPastor, but it also will star Alyssa Kempinski as his college educated and provocative love interest. I've also had the pleasure of working with her several times, most recently on the set of Six Windows! They were also both cast in Animosity, and I'm so excited to see them work together again. Not only are they both immensely talented, but they are both joys to work with on set, which I can personally attest to.

Along with Steere, two of my closest friends, Brandon Taylor and Gabryal Rabinowitz, have joined the teams as respectively Producer and Associate Producer. Not only have I known them for years, but had the pleasure of working with them on many previous projects including Six Windows, The Remembrance, and They Hunger. With a killer crew such as this one, I have no doubts this film will go above and beyond in the realms of creativity and craftsmanship, with a touch of insanity-bordering brilliance.

If you believe in this project like I do (which, in all seriousness, you really should) please check it out on Facebook, Like/Share, and Donate to help make this project a reality!

Behind The Scenes of Six Windows, Round 2!

Back in January, many of my good friends and I were hard at work filming the second block of Six Windows, a web series exploring six people's different experiences dealing with the challenges of New York City. Despite a blizzard or two trying to interfere with our last few days of shooting, we successfully wrapped in a little over a week, with a lot of fantastic footage. While the series won't be released until this coming summer, I have a few images from behind the scenes of the project that will hopefully hold you over until it's finished! Directed by my inspiring and deeply talented friend Brandon Taylor, this series is sure to remind you of the growing pains of life, love and loss. Starring such pretty fabulous actors, including Tracy Willet, Shannon Terrel, Gabryal Rabinowitz, Ellyse Burnett, Cornelius McMoyler, Susan Moses, Hamza Zaman, Nicole Im, and many others, I'm positive this series will turn out wonderfully, and I can't wait to see the finished project. So without further ado, here are some of my favorite moments behind the scenes on the set of Six Windows!