Concept: Anna Lisa "Vanity"

I met with Anna Lisa through... Twitter? I really forgot. haha But when I found out she had some shooting experience and is nearby in the Bay Area, I was up for the task of networking and seeing if she'd be up for a promotional photoshoot.

As I explained to her in our meet and greet, I want to go out and create pictures and not just pictures that "look good." For me, I find it easy to make a picture look good. My blunt equation is flattering light + good looking model = good looking picture.

So instead, I love working in concepts and projecting a story into the picture. If the saying goes "A picture is worth a thousand words," I want my pictures to be worth the sum of the pages that contain those thousand words.

I truly believe that this is what sets good photographers from the best mother effin photographers in the world that can capture audiences from all ranges.

Before I proceed with the logistics of the shoot, lighting, location, make up artists, assistants, etc, I first give the model/talent a set of questions ranging from "Describe yourself to me" to "What is your favorite color." My point is to get into the model/talent's head in order to come up with something that can relate to them so they'll feel natural when it's time to come in front of the camera.

For Anna Lisa, she has had experience with modeling as well being in pageants. I felt that a mirror strongly represents vanity and that notion of self-awareness is important in all of us. I suggested for her shoot that we utilize a mirror in almost all the shots using reflections.

I'm not the best illustrator but I do get into the habit or drawing out an outline of what kind of shots I'm looking for. Below are conceptual drawings for Anna Lisa's shoot entitle "Vanity."





Once again, not the best illustrator but this will be the "standard headshot." It will be her looking at the camera through the mirror. Again, the theme is Vanity and will illustrate Anna Lisa self aware of herself and image.

Part of the shot I wanted is to create this image of purity and so using white as the primary color can help illustrate this idea of pureness. Her dress will be long and fluid and the room/background will be white as well. In other words, a high-key shot.

While we were discussing our shoot, she brought up an idea of shooting somewhere near trees for a "foresty look." This is just in case if we can't get space to use for the background set up she explained and after a few moments I love the concept of shooting the same dress and mirror poses in the midst of a forest location. It would look something out of the pages of a fairy tale of some sort.

We are scheduled to shoot third week of February and we are finalizing the location as well as having a stylist and make up artist on board.