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Project Model: Elizabeth S.

2009-01-29T00:56:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Welcome to my last posting here on Project: Model. It has been a wonderful project... one that lastest five months and allowed me to work with some amazing people! I have taken the time to feature over a dozen participating models from my bookings here on this unique blog site. They really were a lot of fun to get to know and collaborate with... and so different in terms of location, age, ethnicity, experience, etc. I am so glad I took the time to work on such a fabulous project. It was terrific to work with great makeup artists and stylists, too.

My Modeling Sessions will still be available!!! The models seen on this blog will still be featured on my regular web site! As some of you already know, I am currently redesigning my new web site. It will be ready in just a couple of weeks- and with it's launch this blog will no longer be visible. The modeling sessions themselves are here to stay...Of course!! I love working with models.

The time I spend on projects will be now be redirected so that I can keep things fresh and updated in ALL areas!! I plan on adding some more beautiful Wedding Portfolio Work right away, and then moving on to Digital Art Themed ideas and doing occassional Charity Session giveaways once the weather warms up. Be sure to stop by my normal blog- there will be lots to read about in the near future.

Meet Elizabeth S... from Reno, Nevada. She is in her midtwenties, a mom of two and wonderful model!!! Elizabeth contacted me prior to my trip to the NW to schedule a shoot. We wanted to add images to her portfolio. She has done a lot of modeling work and is a very creative and hard working young woman. Isn't she a beauty??

We were able to meet up for just over an hour. The above shots were taken outdoors using natural light... but it was freezing cold! We had to head indoors to take the remaining images. I found a great spot with beautiful diffused window light and so we hung out there and worked for a bit. Here is one of the results.. I used a bit of soft focus on this one. I must say she really wears the color red very well :)

And just for something different, I grabbed a silouette of her while we were there.

The lighting was very odd inside the hotel... different colored lights all over the place. Just look in the background here behind her head. Lots of "glitter and shine" in every color all around town. And the guests were very excited to watch us work. lol. Elizabeth really draws a crowd... :)

She did a wardrobe change at the end of our shoot into a more Vintage style creme colored dress with beaded accessories. I went ahead and created something a bit more artistic for her to have in her portfolio with this look. I used some color tone and grunge brushes to give it a more worn look. The backdrop in both images below is actually an old elevator with an iron frame design from top to bottom. It was a fabulous find.Thanks again, Elizabeth for meeting up with me on my trip out West. I had a lot of fun meeting and working with you! Be sure to keep in touch and let me know if I can be of service to you in the future. Take care - you did a terrific job with Project: Model.

Project Model: Mariah F.

2009-01-15T08:26:00.000-08:00

I just arrived back in Detroit!! I visited Portland for the New Year and then headed to Reno for a long weekend with my fiance and some of his family. While I was gone I met up with a model in each of the two different states. It was a fun experience for sure.

Meet Mariah, from the Portland, Oregon area. She is my youngest Project: Model client thus far. Currently she is 17 years old, attends college prep classes and high school in NW Oregon. She is a new aunt, too, which she seemed pretty excited about. :) Thanks to her mom for coming along and signing a release. It was such a delight to meet you both. Check some of the images out from our session below:

Mariah was really dedicated and wonderful to work with. She tried out new makeup styles and accessories to add variety to her modeling portfolio. She does have experience but was seeking some additional images to showcase her diversity a little more. Black and white images were a must have for Mariah- as her current portfolio contained almost none! Gasp!! lol... you know I love my black and whites. She also wanted some nice close ups and some edgier body shots.

Thanks, Mariah, for trying out a bunch of new poses and fun locations! You are just beautiful!!We worked at my hotel when school was out until dark (which is only about 4:30 this time of year). Originally we had planned on meeting at a scenic outdoor spot- but the rain kept us indoors. Many thanks to the awesome staff members at the Marriott who were extra helpful and accomodating.

And a little bit of art.....

Keep in touch, Mariah- let me know if I can be of assistance to you in the future. I have a couple more for you to see as well. Best of luck to you!!!

Project Model: Kayla G.

2008-12-22T19:06:00.000-08:00

First of all, I want to make sure I wish everyone a WONDERFUL holiday season!!!!

Meet Kayla. :)
Isn't she beautiful????

Kayla is a 21 year old SE Michigan model with lots experience and is represented by a handful of agencies. Currently she attends Eastern Michigan University and works full time. She has done lots of promotional work for local clothing stores, dealerships and websites. In addition, she has done a ton of work with Fashion as a seasoned Runway model. She has worked with dozens of photographers, appeared in print and even has acting experience. What a delight it was to meet and work with her! :)

It was below 30 degrees when we met up for our scheduled outdoor shoot. Cold, but worth it- she did a really amazing job. Kayla enjoys edgier photography and was open to having me work on some black and white images of her. We met to produce a handful of images for her portfolio. Check out some more below:

With the freezing cold temperatures, we had to work fast. The shoot took less than an hour- no real time for wardrobe change. I still wanted her completed images to have a little variety so she brought along some accessories, we found a couple spots to shoot alternate backgrounds and I did a little dramatic editing as well.

Thanks, Kayla, for meeting up with me and doing a terrific job with Project: Model. Best of luck to you in your modeling future... which I KNOW will be plentiful. You are GORGEOUS, girl. Keep in touch!

Project Model: Natasha C.

2008-12-11T18:24:00.001-08:00

On a super cold afternoon early this week, I had the pleasure of meeting up with Natasha C. in Northville for some outdoor "winter weather" type images. Natasha is a very cute 20 year old resident of SE Michigan who is just starting out with her modeling ambitions. She was a total delight to work with- very outgoing and upbeat. We did do a mini shoot (less scheduled time) due to the low temperature (it was in the 20's!!) but she never complained once. Check out some of the images from our shoot below:

Natasha is a college student at Madonna University, works locally, is dedicated to her work out routine. She spoke highly of her friends and family members on our shoot. Natasha also pointed out that she enjoys black and white artisitic photography. Here are a few more of her in black and white:

It was a pleasure to meet you, Natasha! Thanks for braving the cold. There are a handful of additional images in your slideshow!! Please let me know if I can do anything for you in the future.

Project Model: Joey Carr with Chelsey R

2008-11-26T21:53:00.000-08:00

First of all, let me start off by wishing you ALL a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I am pleased to share with you some of a session I did last week with two models- Joey Carr and Chelsey R. They were both loads of fun to work with. Joey contacted me to add a few "couple" images- whereby he posed with another model- to his already well developed modeling portfolio. What a treat!!! Chelsey,20, is a new favorite model of mine so I contacted her to join in on the fun! (you may notice her from a prior session here on Project: Model and/or from my Kodak Photo of the Day with her in Times Square, New York) We were thrilled that she was available.

Joey, 29, is from Auburn Hills, Michigan. His work has been featured in store windows in downtown Detroit... on Woodward! He also has participated in many runway shows and offers mentoring to models just starting out. A really GREAT guy to get to know- very prepared, hard working, experienced and dedicated. Check out some of the images from our session below:

Joey had brought along some celebratory "food" props and so we played with them a bit...

This was the VERY first time either of them had meet or worked with one another. They did such a terrific job warming up to one another and creating professional results in terms of posing and body language.

Thanks, Joey, for getting a hold of me and for doing a marvelous job with Project: Model. Let me know if I can be of assistance to you in the future!

And, Chelsey, thanks again for agreeing to shoot with Joey and doing an awesome job! Check out a couple more of her below!
You both just keep getting better and better! Keep in touch! :)

Project Model: Lauren S.

2008-11-13T19:58:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we had plenty of Fall color here in Michigan. Autumn is my favorite time of of year- I just LOVE it. So, I was extra happy to have met up with a stunning local model, Lauren S. to obtain a handful of shots for her modeling portfolio during this fabulous season. Lauren is a super sweet 20 year old student who attends Madonna University, models, is working an internship, enjoys working out and is passionate about motorcross! She also spoke highly of her family and desire to travel.

Lauren was looking for an "All American Girl" type shoot. She wanted some natural images of herself in the park- especially with all the beautiful Fall colors! She enjoys carefree images- smiling and laid back. The two of us met up at Kennsington Metro Park on a sunny Fall afternoon and had a lovely time. Check out some of our results below:

Isn't she Gorgeous?? We had time to do a few wardobe changes during our couple hour shoot and also to scout out the park for a bunch of fun scenic spots. It was tough to choose which ones to share.

Lauren is also a fan of black and white photography.
I think she looks wonderful both ways, don't you?! :)

Thank you so much, Lauren, for getting a hold of me and shooting on such a gorgeous Fall Day! It was a ton of fun!!! I hope you enjoy all the rest of the images, too! Keep in touch!

Project Model: Mike P.

2008-11-01T04:18:00.000-07:00

Last week I worked with a very friendly & fabulous looking, 20 yr. old local model, named Mike P. He goes to college, enjoys spending time at the gym and is employed locally. Mike appreciates images that lean more towards the fashion industry and also enjoys the classic aspect of black and white photography.

He was looking for some fresh new images to add to his modeling portfolio. After corresponding with me many times prior to the shoot, he decided that going with a casual outdoor "catalog fashion" sort of idea would work out best for him. Mike went shopping prior to the shoot in oder to obtain some of the latest looks and accessories. We meet up for the shoot at Mill Race in Northville. Check him out below:

I am also adding this one in- check out that smile of his. I have no doubt you will go a long way with your modeling career, Mike, and wish you the best of luck!!!

We were able to get in two different looks during our time together. I took him to another nearby place.... an abandoned Inn. The brick walls and iron barred windows provided lots of interest and went great with his look. We were careful not too get too dirty, however, and to keep away from any sort of bugs, LOL!! I found black and white images to work best at this location, check them out:

We worked really hard together to get a variety of location and poses in. He is quite laid back, takes direction really well and even contributes ideas of his own. I think Mike did an awesome job on the shoot- and there are tons more of images like just like these- it was tough choosing which ones to share!
The image below was taken about half an hour before sunset...

Thank you, Mike, for getting in touch with me and for doing a WONDERFUL job with Project: Model. It was a pleasure to work with you- let me know if you need anything in the future!

Project Model: Nicole D. & Jade D.

2008-10-22T00:04:00.001-07:00

Happy Almost Halloween!

What a delight these two young ladies were to work with. Jade and Nicole are sister-n-laws who are both in their mid-twenties and hired me to do some unique, festive images of them... with a bit of a "dark twist." Talk about about having some Halloween FUN!

Wow, I sure did have my hands full with this spunky duo. In a good way, of course! They had lots of ideas, a couple of outfit/make-up/hairstyle changes and lots of neat accessories. Both ladies enjoy artistic images and have worked with me before. For their Project: Model concept, they were first inspired a little by an America's Top Model episode whereby models ratted out their hair and even wore cat eye contacts (which Jade actually purchased.) Nicole was all about trying out funky eye jewelry/designs, stripes of hair color, and fairy wings. In addition, they both enjoyed the concept of using costumes for the Halloween season. It was a little like working with good vs. evil. :)

I did the shoot at Jade's house, mainly using a black background and natural window light for about half of our images. The remaining captures were taken outdoors with full natural light. It was only about 55 degrees that day... but both ladies did awesome. On site was, Shannon G., the make-up artist and Susan D., who did hairstyling. They were both super sweet and so helpful. What a nice treat! Our shoot lasted nearly 3 hours- these are just a handful of my favorites of MANY, many images from our time together. I will admit to cracking up on MORE than one occassion on this shoot. Making "mean" faces will do that to me everytime. It was so much fun. We were able to get some less "dark" images in, too. Can you say Halloween hotties?! ;)

And, of course, I had to get in a few shots of the fabulously wicked details....

Thank you Nicole and Jade for allowing me to be a part of this really cool Halloween memory making experience with both of you. You are both beautiful on the inside AND out. It is always a treat to work with you ladies. Your slide show will be ready in full tomorrow, I will send more details to you very soon. I can't wait for you to see the rest!!!!

Project Model: Chelsey R.

2008-10-11T21:46:00.001-07:00

I had a fabulous time yesterday afternoon with a beautiful young lady from SE Michigan named Chelsey R. She was eager to become a part of Project Model despite the fact that she didn't exactly consider herself "overqualified as far as modeling experience" goes. Well, she could have fooled me- I knew from the second I saw her face that she would be a fabulous model.
Can you say "rocked it?" We actually met for an outdoor shoot in the rain (which I never do). We were thankful for our umbrellas and even more thankful that the rain let up about half way through our time together. She was such a great sport- she even trudged her way down totally wet muddy paths in her colorful heels. LOL!
Chelsey is a very high energy, artistic, liberal, kind, and fun person to be around. She is also a graduate of Specs Howard School of Broadcasting and has an interest in photography. She wanted to do a shoot that represented who she was as an individual and I think we accomplished that very well.
Check out some more of her pictures below:
Thanks, Chelsey, for being such a terrific and gorgeous model. I cannot wait for you to see the rest- there are sooooo many more. I have NO idea how you and yours are going to choose. I will have your complete slideshow done within the week and look forward to working with you again in the future.

Project Model: Jeff S.

2008-10-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to work with an up and coming 21 year old model, Jeff S., this Monday. He has a great look, doesn't he?? Plus, he was lots of fun on the shoot!

We worked together to develop close to a dozen new images for his port (modeling portfolio). He works, models, and goes to college locally. In addition, he has a deep appreciation for black and white photography, fashion, fitness and editorial work.

Below are some of my favorites from our session together.

Jeff was a real trooper, especially in the unusual heat (and that wool sweater of his!) On top of the hot & humid day we were in a spot that was literally swarming with bees. Of course, he waited until AFTER I snapped several DOZEN pictures to let me know he was allergic. OMG!!! Thank goodness he wasn't stung. ;) Whew!

We were fortunate enough to be able to hit a couple locations so that he could obtain images with more of an edgy urban feel, along with some nice nature backgrounds provided by a local park. Showing his diversity was really important to him and I think he did a super job with it.

Thank you, Jeff, for getting in contact with me and for doing a wonderful job with Project: Model. Best of luck to you in the future- I look forward to hearing from you again. :)