New Orleans photoshoot for SavEDGE Beauty

A month ago I had the pleasure of traveling to New Orleans, LA with my wife for a photoshoot with several different models from around Louisiana. The client was Brandie Hopstein from SavEDGE Beauty. Brandie is very talented make-up artist (MUA); she also did all of the MUA work during the two-day shoot. The goal was to create a series of headshots that highlighted SavEDGE Beauty's current look.

I have to take a moment to mention what a blast it was to work with all of these folks. Brandie was truly a great host for her city and each model was full of energy and professional. As an added bonus I was able to bring my wife, Natalie, along as an assistant and during our down time in the evening we had a great time taking in NOLA historic French Quarter.

The picture above is of Katelyn Simmers, an 18-year-old model from Baton Rouge. One of the most naturally likable people you will ever meet, she was very patient while we ran through the a couple of different set-ups before deciding on this traditional glamour/beauty configuration. This is one of my favorite images from this shoot and perhaps that I've taken so far this year.

This next lovely lady is 20-year-old Nikki Jenkins, also from Baton Rouge. We wanted to take a more romanticized and somewhat-flirty evening look. I had never had contact with most of the models prior to meeting them on set, but I must say I was most surprised with Nikki. While I wasn't sure what to expect, I had not anticipated the level of intuitiveness that Nikki has in front of a camera. I have said it time and again: I have the most fun taking photos when I have to "chase" the models. [I understand this could be taken two ways, but let's stay on track.] And she certainly made me do that! The greatest thing happens in these occasions; a vibe and rhythm begin to surface between the model and photographer and the number of usable shots increases dramatically. More often than not you don't find yourself searching for that right shot, you're faced with the dilemma of choosing between dozens of right shots. Nikki was like that. I told her what I was looking for and she ran with it. She needed very little feedback. We just jived.

Doug Lee was our first male model. He is a 30-year-old New Orleans local and was a pleasure to shoot with. The four of us working on set just filled the room with laughter. We were certain to get our work done, but really had a blast doing it. I think the results speak for themselves.

Lastly, you always have to go a bit on the outer edge - especially

when you have a great MUA on-hand. We took the chance to show off Brandie's special effect make-up skills with a kind of

maniacal/Clockwork Orange look. Blake Lloyd, a 21-year-old, newcomer to the modeling scene from Lafayette was her blank slate. Blake's a real nice guy. He doesn't talk a whole lot, but threw in a couple of great zingers every now and then to keep the group's conversations lively. He took direction really well. It's easy to tell he's the kind of guy who likes feedback.

We decided to end our shoot with a beat-up fighter look. It's pretty impressive watching a team bring these types of characters to life. Believe me, if you met him, Blake doesn't strike you as the back-alley brawling type, but in this picture he sure looks like the kind of guy that will throw down if you cross him.

I'm really pleased with how this one turned out. Everyone did a great job. We achieved everything we were aiming for, met new people, enjoyed a great city and had fun in the process. What more can you ask for? Thank you to Brandie, Doug, Katelyn, Nikki, Blake, and of course the worlds best assistant, my wife.