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!

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!

Headshots: Ellyse Burnett

As a photographer often working within the film industry, I get to meet a lot of fabulous actors and actresses, and many of them come to be my closest friends. The beautiful and immensely talented Ellyse Burnett is certainly no exception, and I was thrilled when she asked me to do her headshots for her. If you recognize her, it might be from the upcoming web series I worked on a few month ago, Six Windows. While she may seem a bit shy at first take, she's got a smirk and sense of humor that will steal the show, and I loved trying to bring those aspects of her personality through in these images. Which, if I may as so bold to say, I think I achieved fairly well. I can't wait to see where her career will take her, because it's definitely leading to bigger and better things!

-Hair & Makeup by  Jodi King Makeup-