This post is a long time coming but today I was finally compelled to write it =]

As a photographer, a lot of my time is spent with families: re-unions, newborns, weddings, seniors, etc. All of these people are looking for an image to remind them of a special time in their life. And I love it when people approach me, trusting me with this task.

As an artist, I try to conceptualize  and re-create an idea or an emotion. You have probably seen a lot of my personal photography work, and a lot of it would probably be categorized as “fashion” photography.

I get asked a lot why I work so much with models and why do I like painting on naked people so much. People tend to throw the word vain around an awful lot and make remarks such as, “You just don’t seem like you’d be into that sort of thing.”

That sort of thing? What exactly is that sort of thing? And why are you making such vague assumptions about me? I am an artist, I thrive on beauty and I want to share the beauty I see everyday.

Narcissus by Michelangelo Caravaggio, a favorite Greek myth and a favorite painting of mine. Narcissus was so in love with his own beauty, when he was lured to look upon his own reflection in a pool, and not realizing it was himself, he fell in love with it. He could not tear himself away from his "love" and eventually died there.

But now let me clarify: I am the Beholder. These are MY eyes. There is nothing wrong and nothing vain about women wanting to feel how beautiful they really are. Wanting to look and feel beautiful does NOT make anyone vain. You’ll notice in most of my work that very few even have make up on(don’t get me wrong, I like to go crazy with make up sometimes, it is fun to play around! But it’s never needed) . I don’t do crazy retouches (although I am a retouch master and have a side retouching business…just because you CAN does not mean you always should). I use a variety of women, all shapes, sizes, colors, because they are all gorgeous. When I have a say in wardrobe, I always ask my girls to keep it simple.

My art…my job as a photographer… is not to simply CLICK a button, and bring every image into photoshop and completely smooth their faces, remove every wrinkle, freckle, birthmarks and features that makes them, them. Before I even click that button, there is usually this awkward moment between myself and my model (and if you’ve ever shot with me, you KNOW what I mean xD) There’s this difficult task of displaying, in a pose, how this person before me inspires me. Is it their laugh? Their eyes? Do they carry their arms as though they are floating on the clouds? The way their hair falls into their face. Basically, the things that you generally notice when you fall in love…those are the things I search for when I take these pictures. And those are the things I strive to capture.

No, I am not saying that I fall in love with all my models! I am not that creepy! But I am open enough to not be afraid to search for those subtle things, things that ones professionalism may prevent them from seeing. There is a sense of intimacy in all my personal projects. I do not simply select models that “look good” because that is not what makes a beautiful image. Most professional models that I have worked with actually, are rude and think they are the hottest thing to have ever walked the face of this earth. THAT is vanity, my friends. And it is a hideous creature that I do not wish to work with ever again.

It’s the beautiful people…with beautiful quirks and beautiful souls. They make my images shine.

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