Adam Z.: A handsome headshot session!

Meet Adam Z.... Handsome, right? AND he’s got talent.... A lot of it! And he's all Mad Men with those eyes, and the suit, and that perfect confident stare, ugh! Such a treat to work with!!

My favorite client is the one who’s confident, well-prepared and passionate. Adam hit all these points and then some. He just knows himself in front of a camera. I guess that’s what happens when you’ve got a few high-profile shows under your belt. I really, really can’t wait to see what Adam does next. When you’re that talented, that sweet and that handsome... You’re just made to do great things! I'm ready to be wowed.... can't wait to see what you conquer next, Adam!! I'm rooting for you! :)

 

Headshots: Ashley B. (and the shoot that almost wasn't)

The scene before this shoot: me, sitting at my kitchen table, head down, shaking with a fever and sweating bullets. the reason: sick, sick, sick.

I dedicate this entry to the healing powers of Theraflu Daytime Cold & Cough, for which this shoot would not have been possible. Oh, and of course the healing powers of soup. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I rarely get sick, but when I do, its like I've won the sick lottery. I get everything. under. the. sun. Sore throat? check. Ear infection? check. Watery eyes? check. Upper Respiratory Infection? check. Sinusitis? check check. (I'll spare you the rest of my suffering). 2 hours before my shoot with Ashley, all these things hit me in the face. Uh oh. (there is a happy ending to this tale.)

After taking so many OTC meds it would make a doctor blush, I was off to the shoot. Chugging water and hot tea, I was trying everything I could to just make it through these few hours.

By the time I met Ashley, I was feeling soooo much better, thank God. On top of that good news, I was so incredibly blessed to have gotten Ashley for this particular shoot when my energy levels were way down. She was an absolute natural in front of the camera and made my job so much easier! And the girl has no bad angles. None at all. Don't exist. Amazing! She brought so much light and energy into every shot.... I was so so so spoiled with her! (Sorry, Ashley, for gushing about you the entire shoot and now into this blog! But, umm hello, the world must know how fantastic you are!)

And now introducing the radiant, gorgeous, hilarious, sassy, and talented Ashley B.! Seriously, watch out for this one... it's only a matter of time before she makes it big time.

Headshots: Brian M. (with a twinkle in his eye)

The oh so wonderful Brian M. has been a friend of mine for almost 3 years and every time I see him I love him a little more. Who could blame me either - wait till you see those green eyes!

Due to the general hectic-ness of our lives, we had a "half" shoot last summer, and there were high hopes for meeting soon after to finish up, but the reality of our schedules made this impossible. So when he and I finally had some time open on the same day at the same time, we jumped on the chance to finish what we had started last year. And wouldn't you know... as I was on my way to our meeting spot it started to rain! Aaaahh!!

Ten minutes and a few choice curses later... the sun came out. Never a dull day, folks.

For this shoot we hit up my usual fave Soho location, then opted for moving a bit north into Chelsea where the lighting and locations proved to be absolutely delicious! We conquered dehydration, drunks, crazies(!!) and changing in public and it was so worth it! And I got that twinkle in your eye, huh B? ;)

And now introducing the always wonderful, forever hilarious and insanely talented, Brian M.!

ps. check back Thursday or Friday for some gorgeous shots of the smart, sassy, hilarious and beautiful Emily G.!

Heather G.: Headshots and Haircuts.

I shot with the very adorable Heather almost exactly a year ago from our most recent shoot. She was new to New York, and excited for a new adventure. I couldn't help but be a little fearful that she was so excited to be living in a city that has a tendency to beat you down a little. I decided not to mention it and let the growth that happens when you live here happen organically to her as it had happened to me. I knew she would go far and use that powerful smile of hers to put up some good fights. Oh, and of course we had an amazing amount of fun on that first shoot.

One year later we met again. Heather had gotten a new haircut that was drastic enough to warrant needing new shots. I was so happy to be the one she called! One of the biggest compliments I can ever get is being asked to work with someone again. This means they liked me and their pictures enough the first time that they only wanted to work with me again. Milka what?? I am absolutely honored when this happens! So we met in Soho, my current favorite place to shoot, and got going. As the conversation went on I knew that she had grown tremendously in that year. While still in love with New York, she had experienced how trying life here can be – she was still wearing that smile though! "Ah yes, I have so been there", I said to her.

Which brings me to a quick point... I applaud anyone who has come to this city as a transplant and made it in any capacity whatsoever. You won a battle by doing so. I mean that literally - a battle was fought, and you came out the winner. Living here is hard and it tests tremendously. There are days you are forced to stop and think, "why am I putting myself through this?". But if you stay another day, another week, another month or year, and let yourself grow a little more and be tested a little more - the changes you see in yourself are well worth the fight. Phew... I digress...

And now introducing (for a second time), the very fab Heather G.!

Jesse P. : Soho Headshot session

No joke, I love my clients. When I started doing this I had no idea how much I would love spending time with people for these little bursts time. Another part of it is that I think I've been really blessed so far to have gotten to work with people who are really cool, funny, happy, easy going and all around awesome.

I say all of this because Jesse P. is no exception. In fact - this kid blew me out of the water with how smart, funny and cool he was. We had so much fun around Soho on this shoot. Oh and did I mention how talented he is, too? Crazy talented!! Alright, I'll stop gushing now. :)

I think Jesse was surprised by how much people were staring at him while we were shooting. I get stared at a lot when I'm doing shoots around the city mostly because people are pretty curious about what's going on, but it happened more than usual on Jesse's shoot. My theory: because he's a dead ringer for Zach Efron. (Jesse, don't kill me for saying that!). In fact, that was one of the first things I told him when we met. His position: as long as you don't say he looks like Justin Beiber. Good kid, I tell ya.

A July stroll through Soho

We had an 'early dismissal' (as I like to call it) from work today, it being a holiday weekend and all. I strolled out of the office at 3pm, ready to head to the train and make my way home. But somehow the beautiful day and the hustle of soho at 3pm in the afternoon carried me off and I ended up walking for a few hours instead. Walking in the city = an absolutely delicious new york activity.

Today is one of those perfect new york days that I'm always gushing about. I'm trying to savor every single moment of it because starting tomorrow we're back to a balmy 95º in the shade with humidity that my hair in no way agrees with. July is here with a vengeance, folks!

I'm sitting in my cool and breezy living room enjoying some ice water and ice cream (I have a weakness) and blogging. It's been a few weeks since I've had a TV – I'm taking a mental health break from television. For the past two years it was wake up, turn on the TV, come home, turn on the TV and leave it on until I go to bed. A tv-centric existence is no way to do it. It's taken a few weeks but I'm getting more used to the quiet. By more used to, I really mean less afraid. I was hearing sounds that just weren't there and that was the really terrifying bit of it.

Here are some shots of my afternoon in Soho. On the agenda for the rest of the evening is more water, more ice cream and lots of reading. :)

Zack H.: Headshot fun!

Lots of energy is an understatement if you're talking about sweet little Zack! He was a ball of good vibes, happy energy and enthusiasm! We split our session into two days, something I've never done before, but it worked out great! I don't know why I get nervous about these things, because all was well in the end! This talented kid is absolutely destined to be an incredible performer, writer, composer, or some other magically creative profession! He has such a creative and active mind and we worked so well together!

Zack, I wish you much luck in your very bright future!! Thanks for the fun!

and just for fun....!

Adrianne + James: New York Engagement Shoot

I couldn't have wished for a more fabulous pair to work with on the (very) hot June day our shoot was scheduled for. It was one of those humid new york days they don't tell you about in travel books. Where the air feels so thick with heat you're unsure if you're gonna be able to make it two blocks without needing to stop and rest. Adrianne and James battled the heat bravely, smile on their faces the whole time. Their energy was incredible and their happiness contagious! James was full of ideas for our next great shot, excitingly helping us move along through lower manhattan and then to brooklyn where we ended the day (I really did love all your ideas, James!). The shots are so exciting and as young and hip as these two are.

I had an amazing time hanging out and being crazy around new york with you guys and feel so honored to have been able to help document your incredible love!

Here are a few of my favs...

Frances + Mario: New York Engagement Shoot

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - summer in New York is the most magical time! It brings out a spirit in people that you don't see any other time of the year. Frances and Mario were in the city from Colorado and during our shoot, I could feel them falling in love with the city! Their love and enjoyment of our locations and of each other was palpable and made for a fantastic few hours together! I wish them immense love and continued happiness with each other! And thank them both for all the fun!!

Enjoy!

Tim H. - Headshots!

World, meet Tim. Tim is wayyyy awesome! We bonded quickly over a mutual love for the best show on earth (also known as Lost). If you love Lost, then we're gonna get along just fine. If you love Lost and you're as nice and down to earth as Tim, then we're bound to have a full 2 hours of picture taking time laughing non-stop. These are merely the facts of the world.

Here are a few shots from our laughfest session in Central Park. It was hard to pick my favorites, because I loved so many of them!

Happy summer to you all!

Eddie Z. - Central Park Headshots!

Spring arrived in New York, but just for a few days. It was really more of a Spring tease. On the day of my shoot with Eddie, winter came back for the day... but poor weather couldn't keep us down! We braved the cold and wind and had a great day of shooting! We had a ton of fun watching all the little new york dogs in the park between takes and marveling at how long it had been since we had seen each other (too long!).

Here are some preview shots from our fabulous day of Spring (but really winter) shooting!

Kristen G. - Headshots in the Park!

Today NYC got an incredible spring weather preview! Trust me, 55º is incredible after 3 months of brutal winter temps. I seized the day of optimal weather with a headshot session in the park with my friend Kristen. A boy did we have a great time! Battling mud, seas of children and soccer players never looked so good!

The sunny weather kept the mood light and fun the whole session and the shots are proof of the good time we had!

Enjoy these (totally unretouched) preview shots taken just a few hours ago. Thank you for great time, Kristen!!

heather + mike. 2/14/10

I had the most wonderful time with this awesome couple! We did a valentines day/engagement shoot in the park. It was a nice, but cold day, the blizzard had just come through the city so there was a really gorgeous layer of snow still on the ground. They braved through icy conditions and an early wake-up call to take a little walk through the park and show their love on camera. Super fun and we survived the dangerous snowy conditions!