Bishop Clark,  Auburn WA

“These flying machines, what do you call them, airplanes!  We didn’t have them back in my day, you would have been crazy to even be thinking about it.”

01.29.2010 words from the 106 yr old man himself as he marveled at my photo equipment

I often get asked,  ’what’s the favorite photograph you’ve ever made?’  I never have a real answer, as I suppose I’m always thinking the next day will yield an image that exceeds anything I’ve produced.  However,  if you asked me that question today,  I’d have to say my recent session with the amazing 106 yr old (soon to be 107) Bishop Clark for Time Magazine.

It was just one of those moments that rarely happens during a portrait session.  It’s always an intricate and delicate dance to create authentic portrayals of the people I meet.  I guess you could say we were good dance partners,  because it was just flowing and full of life.  Our dialogue and energy were in sync, and he trusted me to do my job.

The image above can be seen in the current issue of Time.  It’s part of a larger story which tries to shine light on how centenarian’s thrive and live healthy lives.

Below are some other images that I liked from the assignment:

Me + Otis after the shoot

Lori Dawson - Mercer Island

The above image can be found in the current March issue of Smart Money Magazine.  Lori is an amazing woman and widowed mother of three teenagers.  She’s been fighting cancer for a few years now,  and has had the unfortunate situation of having to battle her insurance company as they tried to stop disability payments.

With the help of an attorney,  Lori was able to receive the disability she deserved.  The article touches on the growing costs of disability and the difficulties that lie in the system.

The two images below are outtakes from our session:

Glamour Magazine hired me to make a portrait for their real stories section in this month’s issue.This was truly a feel good story.  Destiny, the blond, is a homeless teenager who through the help of her mentor, Ila (who once was also homeless) is now a published poet and college artist. In the short few moments I got to spend with them,  I noticed that they had a powerful bond.  It’s just cool to get to meet people who have fought hard to pursue dreams and a better life.

The  highlight of the shoot was having the opportunity to give Destiny and Ila gifts sent by the good folks at Glamour. From designer purses, to nice cosmetics, beautiful jewelry, and even a great pair of boots (which Destiny loved!) - the look on their faces was amazing!  Thank you Brian and Suzanne for allowing me to capture this portrait of two amazing women!

A couple of polaroid out takes of Destiny that I like.

sitting options

light test

steaming away

me loading some 4×5

more steaming

the talented Jennifer Verador’s work station

shoe selection

final touches

Thank you to my fabulous team!  Alvin Stillwell and Jennifer Verador, along with all their assistants, were great as always!

If you have money laying around,  then these are the men and women who can tell you where to stuff it.

Last month I traveled to Miami, Chicago, Boston, D.C., New York, and Los Angeles to make these portraits for a Money Magazine feature which is on newstands now.  As a portrait photographer,  I love jobs like this.  The challenge is not only to make subjects who normally loathe getting their photos taken feel comfortable and look good,  but also in trying to match the setup in each different location.

One portrait was done in a home, some in offices, and others in hotel rooms.  Each location presents it’s unique challenges, and it’s race to get everything done when you only have a small window of time to set up and make your portrait. In the end, I definitely had to adapt my vision and lighting a bit.  8 ft ceilings are rarely a photographer’s friend.

That’s what I love about photography.  It’s just as much about problem solving as it is artistic vision as it is a humanitarian feat.  An example -  I was all set in an office space for one of the subjects. Seamless was up, lights were firing, and I felt it was a solid match to the other portraits I had already completed.  A minute before the subject shows up,  the ventilation system in the room turns on and my background starts oscillating causing a formidable kink in my seamless.  I asked if it could be turned off,  and got a quick ‘no’ b/c it would shut down ventilation in the entire building (a Manhattan highrise). So I had to think fast, and I clamped fabric which I packed in my kit to the ceiling to block the ventilation.  Luckily,  that did the trick.

I want to thank Ryan and Betsy for the great opportunity to collaborate on this project.  It was a pleasure.