Headshots: Tommy Juliano

Back in the fall, one of the actors I had the pleasure of working with on Six Windows, Tommy Juliano, asked me to hook him up with some updated headshots. We had hit it off really well on set, and he easily gave one of my favorite performances from he project, so I was more than happy to oblige! 

Tommy is one of those very versatile actors with boundless energy and unbridled enthusiasm for his work, which is a large part of why I loved working with him. I wanted to make sure we captured that element in his images, and as he was showing me the various wardrobe options, I began to associate the outfits we selected with certain character archetypes; thus the approach for this shoot was born.

We traversed from the cute neighbor to the bad boy, the jerk jock to the suited up douche, back to the charmer and maybe even the hint of a villain. After spending the whole afternoon shooting (albeit a great deal of that was purely spent laughing), I couldn't be happier with the results. Here are some of my favorites from the day, hope you like them as much as I do!

Headshots: Taran Muller

I may have only completed half of my college education at Penn State University, but while I was there, I met many wonderful people along the way. Needless to say I was thrilled when my friend (and costume design extraordinaire!) Taran Muller Zackrison contacted me about getting her some updated headshots! We could not have hoped for better weather, and the time of year worked perfectly in our favor by providing vibrant colors from the tail end of summer. 

I couldn't wait to photograph Taran, as she has one of those infectious smiles and a wonderful personality that never fails to shine through. I wanted to make sure both of those elements came through in our session, and I think that second image really fits the bill. Plus she's got some unbelievably killer eyes that matched her scarf beautifully, which only helped make my job a breeze. While I love doing more complicated setups, getting back to basics with just me, my subject, and a reflector was a welcome return to traditional techniques, and goes to show that sometimes the simplest is the sweetest. I love how Taran's images turned out, and am already looking forward to when she needs them updated!

Headshots: Tracy Willet

My beautiful and supremely talented friend Tracy Willet and I had been trying to get her headshots done for a while, but life just kept interfering with even the best of laid plans. A few months ago however, we finally found a day that worked for both our schedules, and I must say, it was worth the wait!

We not only were blessed with some beautiful weather (unseasonably warm for the beginning of April), but also got to sit down and catch up over a cup of coffee after we finished shooting, so all in all,  it was a great shoot. 

I always love getting to do environmental headshots, to me they feel more personable and relatable than studio work (though studio work is undeniably beautiful). The natural golden tones of the late morning perfectly accented Tracy's gorgeous features and I am overjoyed at how they turned out. She is a phenomenal actress, and I hope that these photos can in some small way help her get cast, because the world deserves to see her talent!

Michelle Jones; Experimenting with Light

A few weeks ago, Adorama asked me to do a review on a light kit they were launching, and so I jumped at the chance to do a light test with my good friend and fabulous actress Michelle Jones. We really wanted to play and experiment with the versatility of the light, and spent a good portion of the afternoon into the evening shooting a variety of different looks and aesthetics, and I could not be more thrilled with the results. As someone who started on traditional natural light techniques, working predominantly with studio lighting that day was a welcome change and happy exploration of how dramatically imagery can change with simple lighting adjustments. While it was a lot of firsts, I enjoyed the process of experimenting with the possibilities and discovering what would make the photograph.

Here are some of my favorites from our photo play-day, hope you enjoy them as much as I do!