Pixiq

During my career I have shot countless covers for beauty, entertainment and lifestyle magazines.  I have also shot my share of cosmetic advertisements for clients like Pantene, Olay, Revlon and more.  The image the public gets to see is one special moment from the day, but there are often hundreds of moments captured to around that special image.  Those other moments are stored away and often never seen again except by the photographer.

Getting the perfect moment, or creating the perfect picture, takes more than perfect pixels, a great camera,(a Sony for me) and beautiful lighting.  Once you have all the elements to create magic it is up to you to pull the magic out of your subject.  I will try and use everything at my disposal to make my subjects comfortable to get that perfect moment.  Everything ranging from great music to flowers, research to amazing food, but the connection is really what sets each photographer apart from the rest and enables you to create incredible photographs.  How you speak to your subjects is also key to getting that magical moment and creating great photographs.

When shooting I don't like to over direct my subjects and often tell them not to pose.  I believe a pose will always look fake or stiff or look like an image from another era when posing was all photographers knew.  Today everything in the world has changed so we can't shoot photographs the way we did ten years ago.  When shooting I strive to capture real moments and then direct my subjects based off of what they do naturally.  This way I capture the essence of my subject being themselves with a hit of directions to enhance what they do naturally.  

My directing is no more than simply guiding my subject into the moment when they are comfortable and almost forgetting about being photographed.  It is a delicate dance between photographer and subject and one that has the subject leading the dance at times and the photographer leading when the moment is right.  When the moment finally comes around when you have a great shot I like to stay within that moment and  direct my subject to do slight variations on what they do naturally.  This way I get a series of moments and which help me find the decisive moment.

The images shown here are all seconds apart when I directed my subject to give me slightly different variations of a moment.  I don't  know which image is "the" image until I have all the images in Capture One or Lightroom and start the editing process.  When I am shooting I want to make sure I capture every moment possible and at times I will whisper direction to my subjects so I don't break the moment.  Directing is part of your personal style so experiment with what works best for you.  Some photographers are high energy and yelling and screaming, others are totally quiet when they shoot.  Whatever your style may be make sure you are cognizant of special moments and guide your subject to better images.

For a sneak peek into my way of shooting and directing  take a look at this Youtube clip! 

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I wish you all the best and always dream big!