Top 7 Images of 2017 by Helios

Can you believe it? The year has nearly passed us by. It has been an adventure like none other. We've had several new faces cruise by this year; a handful we have photographed, a few we did not and some we may decide to photograph later. In keeping with our normal tradition, we have done a great deal of casting interviews for future published work. As a result, we have met some beautiful people and I expect we will meet many more before we have selected any finalists for serious collaboration and publishing. Sometimes the spark you're looking for takes several dozen interviews before you find it. What we did manage to find was the top seven most popular images of 2017.

For those of you that keep tabs on us (and we hope you do), this is about the time we select a model of the year - this is usually the person that has been exceptional all year long, producing captivating take after take of riveting imagery session after session; someone driven and passionate about what they do and has a strong sense of purpose about where they are going. This year will NOT be a year for a Model of the Year we're afraid. We simply didn't photograph some people enough or didn't work with many at all for several reasons. Sometimes it's a bad vibe, incompatible scheduling or it just didn't work out. But every year we have chosen someone the bar is raised. The next year selection gets even tougher because when the bar is raised the selection criteria becomes more difficult. Additionally, we have had a handful of great collaborations this year and I'm fond of them all but MOY candidates usually come from a pool of the year's published work which was minimal this year because of the aforementioned reasons. Hey, it wasn't due to a lack of trying. We just didn't feel it this time around as often as we would have liked.  

Now about those images... it took some doing. We combed thru our Flickr metrics, Google analytics largely from our www.heliosimaging.com website and several other media sites to find out what has been trending the strongest all year. There were seven images that reigned as the most popular among of all images taken this year. Based on views, comments, shares, visits, likes, favorites and a tiny bit of barely perceptible personal bias, these are our best images of 2017 chosen by fans, followers and maybe a few Page or Site stalkers. LOL!

We always obsess over data so it was interesting to note that some of the images were of people we had never photographed before this year. We drew a few conclusions from that. First, our fans and followers like new faces and they want new and interesting ideas from us even if it comes from familiar faces. People just aren't content to see gorgeous people in gorgeous things if they're the same sorts of things. They want shock and awe. They want interests, variety, intrigue, mystery with great styling and new locations. Also, the images that are the most popular this year for us had looks and styling not representative of that model's normal look or her normal portfolio which again emphasizes their followers' and fans' desire for variety and newer points of view in our humble assessment. I guess people want to be awed all the time. Otherwise, they get... well... they get bored. I can see that. We do too. What was surprising is that these were simple collaborations were not like our normal more complicated published shoots which goes to show great things can come from simple ideas if your styling is on point and you have the right people. Most of the looks are simple and yet incredibly stylish. We attribute that perfect balance to the models' keen talent to project the mood of the looks and their expressiveness along with relevant composition and location selections.

In all their magnificent splendor the top seven images of 2017 are as follows: 

Model: Shweta Pandey

#7 with model Shweta Pandey. It was our first time ever photographing Shweta and she did not disappoint. Following a brief and productive face to face meet-up prior to the shoot, I knew upon meeting her working with her would be amazing. She is very expressive and her friendly personality and willing attitude made all the difference. She exceeded every challenge put before her without complaint. Despite not having tried looks and posing such as this before, her trust in our eye, our style direction and compositional style with her confidence made all the difference in creating such a riveting masterpiece of fashionable sultriness. 

Model: Yuliana Kelley

#6 with model Yuliana Kelley. Yuliana is a gift from the fashion gods. Here in her fashionably casual delectable goodness, she demonstrates a complete and total mastery over her environment; casual look equals casual pose with casual and summery location. Seldom do I meet someone that understands the association of expressiveness to location to styling as well as she does along with an ability to project the appropriate mood in the context of her garment and overall wear. The comments included with this image were things like, "beautiful and casual." "Great location. She really knows how to pose to show the best of the clothing." "Laid back but stylish." "Phenomenal shorts!" "Summer love." The list went on and on and you had to be there to appreciate how well she emoted that scene. One look/change equals one location/scene is a philosophy her and I both share. 

I had never photographed her before and I can't even imagine where we would be now had we ever worked together or met prior to more deliberately coordinate our ideas. She is extraordinary!

Model: Shweta Pandey

#5 There are few things in this world more precious than working with someone that gets what you're trying to do with your look; not with words but with feeling. I often explain what I'm looking for using abstract emotional concepts or phrases like, "How does the romper make you feel? Where do you imagine you would be if you're wearing it? How would you look if you wanted to capture attention or how would you move if no one was looking?"

Understanding is key to such a well executed look and Shweta SLAYED it. Even before going there I gave her some idea of the location; a location she had never been to. Sure I had shown her a mood-board but I didn't tell her how to pose because when you have a great model you don't have to. I told her simply to "feel" her way thru the look because once she saw the location and we started shooting that she would understand. I had confidence that she would understand what to do. Emotional intuitiveness is so huge and I can't stress that enough. 

Having the pleasure to have met her in-person prior to the shoot tells me so much about how a person might react to a certain look, their level of skill, their confidence and what they are comfortable doing. I knew beyond any doubt she would fully embody the look and feel of this garment and this location the second I met her. She will tell you herself that when I met her that within seconds I had a ton of ideas I felt she could be great with despite not having tried them before. We can confidently say that she is one of the best discoveries of the year.

Model: Yuliana Kelley

#4 Yuliana again?! Damn right it is and for all the obvious reasons. "OMG! She is a doll." "Her eyes..." "Her hair is so thick and luscious." "The light is perfect." "Love the background against the strong contrast of her garment." "Beautiful jewelry." The comments went on and on and on. I must confess it is one of personal favs photographs this year. Her gaze, the guarded but innocent stance is yet warm and approachable and yes she does look flawless like a doll. LOL! But perhaps her stance isn't guarded but embracing. Love of self perhaps? See? That is what wonderful images make you do. You're engaged and thinking and longing to know what is transpiring in the scene. What is she thinking? What is she looking at? 

I don't know what else to say other than it was a fantastic day with great light, good company and positive vibes all around. It didn't take long before I began envisioning Yuliana as a SIRCUS magazine cover model someday. I'm just saying. It is possible. She is THAT good.

Like any top elite model she changed clothing and became a different person; a person that emoted the personality of the garment. Yes folks, garments have personalities whether you want them to or not. You can make the garment or the garment can make you. The key is understanding the difference and controlling the contextual relationship. Okay, I may be losing some of you but Yuliana understood and projected accordingly. I barely know her but I can't help but love this girl and it would seem everyone else does as well. She rocks!

Model: Tanya Sonkin

#3 No "best" image lineup will be complete without my bestie, my friend, my rock - fashion, runway and beauty model Tanya Sonkin. When spoken about in creative circles, Tanya incites an almost worship-level reverence from fans who speak of her from jaw dropped mouths and glazed over eyes. She is the one person I can't seem to photograph enough for obvious reasons. She is one of those models that the more you shoot the more you want to shoot and I see no end to that so as long as I can lift a camera. 

This image is the most commented on from all the images of her by Helios this calendar year. I've been getting..."The most beautiful model I've ever seen." "This is your best work ever with Tanya." "This image is all I would need to work with Tanya forever." "Why aren't we seeing more Tanya?" "What is next with Tanya?" "When is Tanya coming back?" Only her denim looks from last year, that has an almost religious following is commented on more. That is saying something because despite not creating half of what I had hoped we would produce together this year including vid, we still created some of what I consider some of our best work this year. 

It is that look of hers here -that glance towards you that stills your heart. Honestly, she sort of surprised me with this one; stepping out of her comfort zone a bit and nailing us with some serious fire emanating from her thru softly parted lips and tousled hair. She was fully engaged on this shoot and it speaks volumes as to Tanya's skill and incontrovertible prowess in front of the camera when it counts. It is spicy enough to show you that she can go there if she wants to but not so much that you'll ever have enough. It is as she is... insatiable.

The styling is point perfect -screaming of casual upscale elegance with a splash of sexy that only Tanya can bring. 

Model: Trexie Dorrell

#2 with Model Trexie Dorrell. The one who is many. Fitness, fashion, beauty, glamour, art and everything in between. Except she can't sing and she can't dance worth a damn. LOL! Believe me I've seen her try. Otherwise, Trexie Dorrell is my one tried and true everything model. No one understands me as much as she does and for this reason it takes us all of 10 minutes to shoot any look in any location in any kind of weather. Emoting? Check! Styling? Check! Makeup & Hair? Check and Check! Posing? Double Check! There is no one I trust more with my brand image. She truly understands the scope of everything I try to achieve with every look no matter the genre. Perfectly sculpted, beautiful and religiously driven she is the singular person that can step in for any look or any model from lingerie to avant garde. Cocoa_pecan complexion, chiseled high-born cheek-bones with abs to match, she has no equal. For posing, styling, fit-level and expressiveness she garners the most attention than most of the models I have met and/or photographed combined with few exceptions. She has the most no-nonsense casual and laid-back attitude about it all despite being the Cover Model of SIRCUS™ magazine Issue 12 in the editorial "Doll Play"and a key player in the making of Issue 11 "Fitness is in Fashion." 

Arguably the most accomplished in terms of her role around these parts and her widespread everyday offline popularity, she, not unlike the aforementioned Yuliana Kelley, has a strong sense of style and natural affinity for aesthetics. Trexie simply doesn't take any of it that serious though. She is as casual about her looks and her personal style as she is about her rainbow fuzzy sock collection she wears around her apartment throughout the week. I believe her followers can sense the "this is so easy but I'm not stuck up or haughty about it" attitude coming thru on her images and they are draw to her authenticity. That laid back relaxed aura says I could just as easily take a nap here rather than get all bent out of shape about how I look right now. Yet, she looks ravishing and completely content. But she would also lie down in the same spot in the pouring rain if it meant the shot would be perfect. That is the commitment you want on every shoot - relaxed, stylish, beautiful and it will be done when it's done as long as it's perfect kinda attitude. That is my Trexie and the people that worship her as I do get it.

Model: Yuliana Kelly

#1 One more time with Yuliana. I know I know. She accounts for three out of the seven top 2017 images and I'm not even making this up. The numbers don't lie and it shows our followers have great taste. She owns her space is the best way I can sum it all up. You had to be there but everyone that attributed to these numbers and given us this feedback was NOT there and they are as enamored with her as I am. 

I can only explain it as natural ability coupled with gloriously heart-stopping beauty. It still amazes me how much she reminds me of Trexie in that she seems so "in the zone" on the shoot. Being as I've only worked with her once I can only guess that it is simply who she is. 

You can fake a great many things but talent isn't one of them and I can say she is definitely born to model. Whether she is smiling or not, standing or sitting, leaning or reclining; each image conveys a sense of belonging, a strong sense of style and environmental awareness. 

"Angel." "Beautiful." Beautiful work." "Great styling." "That smile..." "Very fashionable" etc etc. The comments are carried the same message and the views were astronomically high. It is definitely a I wish I was there kind of image. I want to do what she is doing. I want to wear what she is wearing. I want that happiness and comfort. I want that hat and bracelet. I want to get to that location. I want that life. That is what modeling is about. People need to want to be the person who the model seems to be; the lifestyle, the scene, the moments and the feelings that emanate from that world. 

Despite not having chosen a single Model Of the Year for 2017. We had a fun time assembling the top images of 2017. Thank you Shweta Pandey, Tanya Sonkin, Trexie Dorrell and Yuliana Kelley for making 2017 such a special year. Extra special thanks to all of you that made these images possible and for everyone else for collaborating with us this year. It has been an absolute pleasure meeting new people and I look forward to continuing to work with some of you again. 

Are You a Helios Model? And What is a Helios Model Anyway?

Who or What is a “Helios Model?”

To be completely honest with you, we didn’t know this phrase was a thing until about the third time we had heard it from at least three different people. We’re not a modeling agency but I do believe that over time we may have indirectly chosen or maybe created a different classification of models and clients.

I don’t believe it is a look. I personally think everyone we’ve photographed is beautiful. I really mean that. Everyone we have ever photographed in uniquely gorgeous in their own way. Our portfolio is far too varied to say it is just blondes or brunettes, dark hair, asians or blacks, whites or otherwise. But I do think that most of the models who collaborate with us have a refinement unseen anywhere else. It’s not a job, or a label. It’s just something people tend to remember the model by. We guess it’s a thing now. 

For example, I did a follow-up with a model two weeks ago. This follow-up was long after my initial shoot with her. We met just to discuss future ideas and just to see how her shoots with other photographers have gone since our first shoot together. She is having a blast. However, it was the recent photographers she had worked with that also gave her the label as a Helios Model which in essence meant, she was in a different and more elite class than normal. Hey, we’ll take that. Again, it is not our saying, this seems to be public opinion. We’re not an agency but we do often brag about finding the absolute best people to photograph. To be honest, even the paid assignments are exceptional in our opinion. I believe good people are simply attracted to good things. You want the best then you should always strive to be the best. If I want the best models I try not to beg for them, pay them extraneous amounts of money. I put my time and effort in honing, improving and perfecting my skill as a designer and photographer. In time, if it is meant to be we will simply cross paths; if not, we will not. We certainly don’t have a monopoly on premium people. In fact, we would say that there have many more people we would like to work with; all of which are well-suited to the ideas we have planned. Are they “Helios Models” before we even work with them? We can’t answer that if we don’t know why the label exist.

We don’t happen upon active photo shoots from other photographers very often so we don’t see their process with how they select, engage and direct models but I can’t imagine it would be that different. You select, research, schedule and shoot or you reply to a message or an email, agree on a rate, schedule and shoot. Simple right? Or so we thought. Apparently, somewhere along the line we seem to develop these new classifications and what some are designating as a higher echelon of talent than what is normally found. 

We honestly don’t know what is going on. But what we do know is that we are eternally grateful for every single paid assignment and collaboration that comes our way and we have fun doing them. As you might also be aware, we often credit the talent and clients themselves with how well the images manifest. We couldn’t be who we are without their skill, vision and talent. 

So what is a Helios Model? I still don’t really know. Perhaps someone else can define why people we photograph just seem so categorically premium and elite. If I had to guess we believe people decide to become a Helios Model when they make that first email, send that first message or make the initial phone call to setup a shoot. It’s a mindset not a look. They’ve decided to take a leap and see what happens and that within itself suggest a creative and more open minded way of approaching art and photographically specific. If the label derives from the results then that is most certainly our theory. Full trust in the process is over half of our successes. 

Our final theory on what constitutes a Helios Model is a person that constantly strives to improve their craft. They encourage others to be the best they can be while they themselves work hard to expand their creative opportunities. They want to forge productive relationships and work with other people like themselves that respect style, taste and refinement above all else and they would much rather have quality above quantity. If that is a Helios Model then I believe nearly everyone we’ve ever had the pleasure of working with suits that label. 

Stop Posting Serial Photographs

Avoid those serials. You know what we mean - the serials. Putting up two or three and often more of the same series of photographs back to back to back. It diminishes their effectiveness and awe factor. 

Photographers can get carried away with serials as well as models. We fall in love with a model (happens all the time. Don't worry, it's platonic but it will never lasts because we're artists. We're passionate and intense but we bore quickly 😀). Or we fall in love with a look or a series and we want to put up three four or more of the same garment from the same model in the exact same location with very little change between each shot. We're not talking a complete pose change or location change. We're saying a subtle change like she's leaning to her left side on this shot and then the next she leans to the right. Trust us when we say people bore pretty quickly and unless that image offers a unique look or perspective not seen in its preceding image you had better leave it out completely.

People want to be shocked, awed and surprised. The more you feed them the same, the more you'll bore them to tears and they'll quickly lose interests. As a photographer, we have to keep pushing ourselves to be more innovative, creative and forward thinking which is why one of the greatest attributes of the best artists in the world is that they hate sameness. They need to keep pushing boundaries of expressiveness and always wanting more - more sensation and more variety. But when anyone, including models, puts up two or three of the same picture from the same look without staggering them it gets old pretty fast. This is more pronounced with social media. Upon first seeing a picture the reactions are near instantaneous, plentiful and  immediate  especially if it is unexpected; followed up with a very similar barely differentiated image of the same you can likely expect about a 50% to 70% drop right off the top in the number and time of reactions. What can I say? People just have short attention spans. They're already looking for the next shocker. 

If you have a lack of work then stagger the looks or wait awhile between posts. If you lack the patience then you really need to shoot more variety with more frequency. If you still can't do that then you need to shock your audience beyond words. You'll want them to gasp and you'll want to blind them in waves of mind numbing awesomeness with each posts despite those long spans of time between each one. It's one more reason why runway pictures get old really fast. I mean just how many angles of the same runway, in the same dress of the same person do we need to see? Ok runway - got it - check - let's move on. One is ok. Two is bad. Three is horrible. When we saw the first image we got it. Great, you do runway. Bored already. Trust me, they'll wait for you between post if you're good enough. But if you're predicable and keep doing the same thing you're gonna irritate them and your audience will not come back.  

Why Photographer Takes Stellar Photos But Not Of Me?

Just last night a prospective collab asked why it is that some of even the best photographers seem to be able to take better images of some models than they do others. I had a few theories as to why and she certainly didn't like either of them. 

She cited a personal example of having carefully and thoroughly vetted a photographer. She looked through his port and all throughout his social media sites and saw nothing but extraordinary premium quality images. The photographer had been published multiple times in various magazines and had even been interviewed a few times by others as well as being a part time instructor. In other words the guy knew his stuff. But when this particular model worked with him, her pictures were amateurish at best. To be frank with her, I had to admit they were bad; very very bad. They appeared to not even have been done by the same guy. Had I not seen this sort of thing before I would not have believed her. What gives?

Well it could be several things that could have attributed to the problem. Some of them having very little to do with the photographer. Hold on now. I'm not suggesting he didn't screw up royally. He most certainly did fail miserably. After all the final call is often his as to what is and what is not an acceptable image. 

As a photographer I can tell you that we are very finicky about our reputation. It was a simple exercise to figure out what happened in this case. I just applied a bit of deductive reasoning to her case. All things being equal, if every image of other people by him is stellar and hers is not then you can narrow down the problem by eliminating the uncommon potentials. Whatever remains is your culprit. In this instance we have the same photographer, with the same gear in the same location. What is different? The model is the only difference. Even that is to say that it may or may not have been her fault either. Maybe he was having an off day and just didn't care or couldn't focus. Maybe she was not quite herself that day either. But what happens when this happens over and over again with the same model? I'd say they're just not vibing. It happens to even the best people. There is simply no creative chemistry there. I see it happen most often when the photographer is accustomed to having most of the creative control or he or she has a stylist on their other shoots but instead on this shoot the photographer allowed the subject to dictate the creative and style direction of the shoot. 

After talking more to the model I learned that there was very little communication or preparation prior. After almost bullying him to do a rare free shoot through dogged persistence, he gave in. I just don't think he was as committed to it and decided to forego his usual vetting and styling process to save time and effort. It would seem he normally shoots with models of a very certain type; young, signed, very experienced, tall and lean. She met part of that list but not all. That part is his fault. If you don't want it and you can't or won't do it well then don't do it. How did I know it wasn't styled or planned? She said as much and I'd seen her wear that same exact clothing with multiple photographers far and wide. It was just a tired and played out look with garments that quite frankly had no business on a photo shoot. She just doesn't know she's not a good enough stylist for this and he didn't tell her otherwise. Again. His fault. 

After more questioning I leaned that they really hadn't planned on anything in particular to shoot. She didn't volunteer what she was bringing and he didn't ask. Even I don't meticulously plan out every single detail all the time but I do like to have a rough idea of what we want to accomplish if nothing else. If it's someone I know very well photographically then I will forego most if not all of that due to our familiarity but never on an unknown. But given this photographer's port I can't imagine he just wings everything given the detail and grandeur of every look from different models. 

So whatever have here are several things causing her problem and less than stellar results from what is otherwise an extraordinary artist. 

1. A lack of Trust - never worked with her before and didn't work to build any kind of camaraderie or familiarization with each other's style or experience. They were unevenly matched. If you have trouble completely relinquishing visual and creative control to another person then modeling may not be for you. Sure you can choose who and who not to work with. Once the commitment has been joined then you as a model have agreed to be shaped, molded and finessed often to someone else's eye depending on the project. The photographer as to give in to another's will often times when a creative director is present or if the model and the photographer have both conceived an idea to work together on. But when the time comes full and total trust that he knows what he's doing and she knows what she is doing is paramount. In short, you've established an understanding for the entire project. 

2. Poor communication - setting expectations is a key component of every project. What are you trying to achieve? What would you like to get out of this? Where will these images be used? How much time are we shooting for? How soon can you arrive? Can you provide an example of your idea or describe it? What genre? Or are we just having fun and seeing what happens? Who will be doing the editing? Sharing ideas or asking for direction. Gauging the other's primary creative interests. 

3. Resource management - what do we need to accomplish our goals? What are you bringing? Who will be responsible for what? Makeup, clothing, hair, accessories, assistants, props? What are we shooting? 

4. Over your head - don't pretended to know when you don't know. Just because you think your clothing is bomb doesn't mean that it is. Ask the person who knows. If you're really going hard after a person whether or not you're the photographer or the model, it's important to know when you're outclassed and you may want to seek the other's advice on things like styling, posing or even lighting. But never invite yourself unless your opinion is welcomed. 

5. Know your role - let people do their jobs. If you're gonna model then be a model. Don't start dictating to the photographer your best angle or how to place the lights. That's the photographer's expertise. That's why you're here remember? It's because they're the best and you want to work with them. If you want to be a photographer then be one but don't try to be both and frustrate the photographer by telling him or her what light works best on you or how to edit your pictures. Trust me, they don't want your opinion unless they ask for it.

6. You're not ready - sometimes you're just outclassed and not ready. Don't beat yourself up. There is a reason his pics are incredible or her port is amazing. Some people don't match or don't match right now. You may need more experience or better styling before you step up or accept a project. You should always strive to work with people that are perceivably better than your are. That's how we improve. We learn from others and apply those good attributes to our own process and style. Yet, sometimes it's best to just back off for a bit and get yourself primed before stepping into something or someone currently beyond your skillet.  

7. You're not her - you've seen the ports and you have to understand that everyone is different. Everyone is unique. You're not gonna ever look like the girl in the picture because that's not you. You have a different bone structure, different hair, you're taller or shorter. You may be wider or thinner or even heavier. Be honest with yourself first. Set reasonable goals. She's 100 pounds and you're 150 or vice versa. Unless you're edited beyond recognition it's not happening. It's okay to use an idea but make it yours and put your own signature touch on it. Embrace your uniqueness and most often your results will exceed your original idea. 

8. Trying to please - in a side example of what not to do I asked another model why she put an obviously less than stellar pics on her social media Pages. She admitted they were bad but didn't went to offend the designers or the photographers that produced them. Well that's on you in thought. It's your brand and your reputation. I quietly but vehemently disagreed. This is a business and if you're a model or a photographer it should be your goal to your brand identity with unrelenting diligence. I'd equate what she did on her Page to a restaurant serving contaminated food knowing it was bad but served it anyway because they didn't want to anger or disappoint their suppliers. That makes absolutely no sense to me but I let it pass because from that point onward I questioned myself on whether or not I ever wanted to work with someone who would allow such images right alongside my own. Does that not call into question her decision making and style acuity? Yes it does. It also undermines the very reason people come to me in the first place. We don't collaborate with just anyone and just because you're nice or sweet isn't reason enough to ruin my business or my rep. All it takes is one bad photo for people to say what was he thinking. I try to minimize those instances. 

All of these issues that I discovered with her and many like her attributed to her problems. Even after all of that is addressed and considered some instances just don't work out. Despite how much I can like a person's style, how they look or even their current work, sometimes people just can't quite sync on a creative level. It's best to just let it go because every single bad picture you take is ruining your visual brand whether or not you're the photographer or the model. Digitally it will lasts forever and you don't want that blemish on your rep. Always choose quality over quantity. 

2015's Greatest Models Part 1

It has been nearly 15 years since we began this process - never perfect but always perfecting and always striving to improve. As one might imagine we've come across more than a handful of talent from the vastly experienced to the person getting in front of the camera for the very first time. Even though we didn't officially publish her this year, she was this year's most popular model by every single measure.

Every blog, every image sharing site, every website and photo-stream where any picture of her appeared went viral. By every metric we could obtain she is the most talked about, most shared, most visited, messaged, emailed, tagged and liked model we've had for the entire year. We could simply post a picture of her and received essays about her beauty. We might share a photo from a recent shoot and get email server errors due to the inbox overflow. She is a phenomena a photographer can only experience to believe.

Kim Jonet
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©heliosimaging

We simply don't know anyone that doesn't love her. She is kind, patient, flirty, fun, intelligent and incredibly sexy. She has a natural kind of sultriness that can't be duplicated and it emanates from the sites, pages and blogs where she appears.

What impresses us the most is her preparedness, trust and humility. She is always ready. She brings what was agreed upon - sometimes more but never less. She is never boastful or demanding. She is gentle, soft spoken and incredibly humble. She doesn't pretend to know everything despite you knowing there are few things she doesn't know. She will ask you if she needs direction and yet she is confident without arrogance. She is without a doubt one of the most gifted individuals we've worked with over the entirety of our creative careers and most of that stems from a most agreeable personality and an intoxicating visage interlaced with malleable and endless talent.

When you're shooting she truly puts herself in your hands to do your craft. She relinquishes creative control so that you're not inhibited as an artist. In a very real sense, she is yours to command artistically and creatively. She will not argue, complain nor make unnecessary requests. She does not whimper, whine nor cry. She is 100% committed and confident in herself and to her love of modeling but she never takes advantage of people with her obvious enchanting wiles. It makes getting those challenging shots that much more fun and we always get the look we want with Kim.

You can't pay for that kind of trust with anyone else. But even so, you have to earn it; you have to nurture it over multiple photo shoots and collaborations. More importantly, you have to deliver with Kim. Make no mistake, she is there to work and you owe it to her to get it right and never leave her wanting. You'll want to buy her an island, cars, houses and pretty much whatever you can acquire to keep her happy and satiated. But all Kim wants is a great experience, your artistic respect and of course stunning images.

People never ask why we have Kim back again and again and again. They see it in the image. They see our comfort with one another and they can feel our sense of camaraderie. That feeling you feel when you see her, that distinct but fleeting gasp that escapes you when you stand in front of her is a real thing. She will always have a spot on my schedule without even asking for it. She is one of a few who can call at a moment's notice and get whatever it is she wants. For us, she is more than a model; she is a cherished friend and we wish her all the best for 2016. If we're as fortunate as we have been in the past then 2016 will belong almost entirely to her. In a nutshell it means that for 2016 if Kim wants me to shoot with her then she will have the highest priority. What do you say Kim?

The Best Photo Models

A colleague of mine (fresh to photography) practically begs me to reveal some secret to him about how to get the best models. I’ve said it again and again. You don’t. You focus on quality and style and the best models will find you or you will run into them. 

At one point I suppose I was like him in some ways. I desperately wanted to shoot a model named Amanda from Seattle at one time; a dark haired stunning beauty in the area. I didn’t think I could be a photographer without her in my port. Guess what? I realized in a very short time that it wasn’t about Amanda at all. It was about my own need at the time to create a crutch as to why I may or may not be flourishing. In literally days I came to realize if I focus on quality and style that there will be several Amandas to come along on their own.

In time, you work with who you were meant to. Several years later I still haven’t photographed Amanda and I don’t care. I’ve worked with in my opinion the best people in the region and if it I haven’t yet then it’s only a matter of time. The best people always find you and you will always find them. Just focus on your work. 

Photography and the Pitfalls of Emotional Attachment

You thoroughly enjoyed yourself. The photographer was a total joy to work with. You had so much fun. He made you feel confident, beautiful and quite frankly it was a total blast. This guy has an awesome sense of humor and he (or she) is so chill and laid back. But the main reason you enjoyed working with this photographer may or may not be the one the matters most. But that all depends on what you wanted from your experience.

From both sides of the camera, I believe we can safely admit that no matter who your are, creative synergy and getting along always makes for a better overall experience. Additionally, how well you vibe with people on set creates a more collaborative and open process thereby resulting in better results. But does it always? Can everyone say that just because they had so much fun on a set mean that the results are exactly what they wanted or needed? Or is it fair to say that their emotional experience tainted the perception of the results? 

I’ve seen cases where photo subjects so highly praise someone that I wonder if they truly took the time to actually compare the results of the project to what they might expect from someone else. I read phrases like, “she was so nice.” Or I hear ‘he is so cool and easy to work with.” Or the most recurring expression is “he(or she) is my favorite photographer.” Why is that I say to myself when I read those kinds of opinions? I can only conclude that the experience; the emotional element clouded the perception of the results in an industry where the results are paramount beyond all other considerations. I think the simplest way to express what I’m driving at is simply asking yourself, “do you want to have a good time? Do you want to get fantastic results? Or do you want both? But beyond all other considerations, can you be emotionally detached enough when it’s over to judge the results of the project completely and objectively. I think everyone would want both but that is not always what happens. I believe that runway models have the greatest temptations. They really like posting everything as a carryover for being caught up in the elation and overall experience of flashing lights, music and hundreds of eyes peering at their every single step. But it doesn’t mean that we have to see or need to see every single step of them in a picture with bad light walking on a stage from the beginning to the end of the show. We get it. You were in a show. You walked out, turned and went back. But the feeling of it and rush of it spills onto your Pages and your media. It’s okay. You love it and you’re good at it. Yet, it’s a perfect example of a slippery path into the boring and the mundaneness of senseless barely inspired repetitiveness and you wonder why you’re not fetching the shares, posts and likes you once garnered.  

I’ve had photo shoots when the experiences were not always stellar. Good, fair, average, weird, unusual, acceptable, incredible, magnificent, extraordinary, mind boggling awesome… we’ve have had them all. Then sometimes the talent isn’t as polished or experienced as I might have believed. The talent may be dismissive, condescending or just didn’t play well with others. Or a pet peeve of mine was flagrantly violated by an assistant or another creative on the set. Yet, despite those few and very far between bad ones, at some point I had to detach myself from my feelings and really judge the results of my efforts with this person or group of people. Why? Because in this image driven industry and culture, results are all that really matter and only the ideal manifestation of those labors should make it into a portfolio or page for public viewing. 

You just shouldn’t ever put a picture out there because you “Like” a photographer or other talent when a single image can be a career altering decision from a would-be project. You only put out what your emotionally detached mind decides can positively influence and advance the public’s perception of your range and talent as an artist. On the other side of the coin, you can’t always disallow yourself the option of releasing an image because you “Dislike” someone either if it will further your ambitions. I’ve become absolute best friends with someone from a single shoot but that doesn’t mean I let that friendship cloud my creative critical judgement. I show his or her best and in doing so hopefully show my best.

Fortunately for us, my best collaborations paid and unpaid have come from people I genuinely like for various reasons. Of course, I’ve had one or two bad apples; people you just don’t creatively mesh with or just a bad collaboration for whatever reason but it’s natural that some people don’t get along. But I still have to give it 100% because every single shot is my reputation. People have certain expectations and I must exceed them or at least live up to them. The image industry doesn’t get a free pass or a day off. Every shot needs to be on-point. Therefore, a stream of mediocre pictures just shouldn’t be shown just because I couldn’t decide if the image was great or that I think the model I worked with was great. It’s easy to confuse the two and both things do not fetch the same perceptions in the public’s eye.

Then the question comes up, how do you know if it’s not a great picture if you can’t judge your own state of objectivity? You ask someone who will be honest with you and not someone who will agree with you for sake of your feelings. Ask a colleague that will give you honest and constructive criticism. I could have been tempted to fall into the “Like” trap. I’ve liked models so much as friends that I may have wanted to release any and every picture because I thought SHE was fantastic. You catch that? “SHE” was fantastic. It’s the image, the output, the result of her that people will see. The public doesn’t see the process or the experience. They see the product. But as a designer my every single working day is spent giving and receiving critiques so I have learned to think objectively as a publisher and a marketing professional and not just as an artist. I place what is good for that model’s portfolio and my business identity and style above all else. When he or she gets premium bookings as a result of what I’ve done then it makes me feel like I’ve given them something more and something they can’t get anywhere else.

So when I may find myself photographically crushing on someone, I give myself some time and step into business mode and ask, would I want to hang this on my wall? Would I buy this or do I want to work with this model, videographer, makeup artist, stylist or photographer as a result of this picture? More importantly, would a pay a premium to work with anyone from the project that produced this art? 

It’s challenging to think this way but the hardest roads to travel have the best things at the end. Right before you hit “Post” or “Publish” on your social media Page, pause and think before you do it. Is it the best I can offer right now? Do I really “Like” this or am I caught up in the elation and excitement of it or gushing over the person that helped me to create it? Don’t let sentiment cloud judgement. 

 I still ask myself the aforementioned questions when I post something and I’m sure I’m not always right because art is still objective in large part. But I think it’s still smart to ask myself, “Is this really a fantastic image or was it just the experience of creating it or was it the model or stylist I created with that I find so fantastic?" Is it possible these things can both occur. Possibly. The point is not to mix up the two and continually create and publicize poor work due to an inability to emotionally detach. 

Now would you continuously work with someone who repeatedly produce amazing results with you but that person wasn’t all that agreeable? More to the point, do you think you would even give the images a second look and find any of them gorgeous? That’s an interesting question but you’ll have to decide for yourself. I guess when you think about it modeling and photography isn’t all that different than any other gig when an actual career is at play. You will have people that you like, people you love and people you just don’t ever want to see again along the way. If you’re running a day to day business you learn to work with the good and the bad and try to consistently release good products and services that will grow your customer base whether you choose to do it for fun or not. Your favorite customers aren’t always the most profitable customers. In fact, most cost you money. Yet, the most needy, most pain staking solid spenders are often the most profitable. The bottom line is when it comes to business and in life, it’s best to put your best foot forward in work, fun and play. Avoid the embarrassment of saying that a "photographer is so awesome" if his work is not up to par. Avoid writing things like he is so "easy to shoot with" and the you put up dozens of strange automaton-looking images because you “like” him as a person and have not objectively critiqued what might be the fall of your once premium visage. You can keep a friendship without the bad publicity but you can’t get your reputation back that easy. 

If you’re just funning and enjoying yourself, then there is something to be said of pure unleashed elation and not really caring what anyone says. That has it’s place to. Just be mindful that it’s importantly to keep some objection perspective on what you’re doing and what you’re publicizing thru the rose tinted eye-ware you may be peering through. 

Modeling and Age Discrimination

About three weeks ago I worked with a model I’d never worked with before. She is gorgeous in every way. Polite, intelligent, beautiful skin, gorgeous full and shiny hair and an amazing fit body. As long as a person is of legal age I don’t really care how old they are. If they suit the look I’m going for then I really could care less beyond getting the job done. But I was stunned by what she told me. She mentioned that in her experience many people were turned off by her age. She perfectly recalled an occasion, when a photographer she had just finished shooting with asked her age. When she told him he visibly expressed shock and immediately became dismissive and treated her horribly. I personally just don’t understand the obsessiveness with age. Clearly this model was perfect before the photographer knew her age. I was appalled and very disappointed in this photographer’s behavior. It makes the entire industry seem so very very superficial.  All we really want or really need is a competent and talented subject to meet the criteria of the task. 

I might have known that something was off when she asked the average age of the models I typically work with early in the photo shoot. She was unnaturally interested. When I mentioned all ages she was visibly but pleasantly surprised. I clearly remember saying, “I don’t have an age limit. I only have qualifications. If a person suits those qualifiers then I don’t care. If she is slightly older then all the better since statistics tend to suggests that more mature models are more reliable.” Then she told me her story. I couldn’t get over how someone calling themselves a professional could behave in such a manner. In her estimation, anyone over 30 years of age was at a horrible disadvantage. Clearly she had been shaken and somewhat discouraged by her experiences and given her talent and her looks I was simply baffled why anyone so beautiful might have developed such a distrust and negative attitude about the industry at large.

It didn’t take me long to realize she was not alone. I did a bit of research and spoke to a few colleagues and other models. While there are certainly more mature models working, many have experienced some form of push back when they revealed their age. It wasn’t because they didn’t look the look, walk the proverbial walk or that they didn’t meet all the criteria of the task - NO! It was only because of their age; a simple number that often disqualified them from further consideration.

When did we become so shallow a society to care how old or how young a person is if they perfectly suit the task at hand? In fact, I have argued that on occasion it might be more attractive to seek out a slightly more mature model because of their attention to detail, their work ethic and dedication. Paid or unpaid, collaboration or commissioned, I have never had a model over 30 years of age not show up. From a marketing perspective, any smart person would know that models in their 40s, 50s and 60s is a rapidly growing and sought after group due to the amount of products and services seeking that demographic. More specifically, the amount of quality images needed to promote products to that group is rapidly expanding. It is quite simply, a smart move to work with this rapidly expanding market. If anything, this photographer should be bowing and pleading for the pleasure. But even that is not really the argument here. The lack of common business sense is argument enough for the imbecile that has a problem with age. But what truly perturbs is the fact that this age-nazi expressed no problem whatsoever until he or she actually learned the model’s age. It’s baseless and ignorant to age discriminate for any reason short of not being able to perform the task and that can be true of any person at any age. 

This photographer, whomever they are is simply a fool. It was a tactless thing to do, a blatant lack of professionalism and it shames me to know that someone as kind and as beautiful as this model has to endure such ridicule for being who she is. 

Lucky for me I did photograph her and quite frankly I loved every second of it. She was perfectly qualified, punctual, experienced, respectful, communicable and gorgeous. What else could I possibly want? All things being equal she was perfect and I don’t care how old she is beyond being of legal age. 

Sircus Magazine Issue 5

Sircus Magazine Issue 5

By SIRCUS Magazine in Sircus Magazine

52 pages, published 7/16/2013

Popular photo-centric magazine by Helios Digital Imaging & Graphic Design featuring a variety of fashion, beauty, avant grade, cosplay, glamour and lingerie photography from a plethora of different models. Additional issues to include themed shoots, articles about local artists, events and popular culture.

The Beauty Dish

The beauty dish is one of the most popular light modifiers in use. It is the preferred piece of equipment by amateurs and professional photographers alike.

Mola Beauty Dish

Why is it called a beauty dish? Largely it is called a beauty dish due to its shape and its resemblance to a bowl or dish. That shape attributes largely to the structural characteristics of the light cast. Light from the strobe strikes a central flat and often reflective disc that sits in the center of the dish and bounces omnidirectionally back into the bowl and out again into the dish's outer edges in a conal pattern.

The light cast is considerably more directional and specular than a softbox. While softboxes (as their name denotes) is far softer and generally wrapping but with significantly reduced gradient lumen transition from highlight to shadow. The falloff, as observed in light from a beauty dish, possesses a far shorter specular transition along its edges. While the transition from highlight to shadow is markedly short and evident, it is very mellow along the fringes of lumen dissipation giving the light a spherical characteristic. 

The specular quality of the light is observable in the reflective highlights falling upon the subject. The illumination nears zero as it approaches the outer edges of the cast conal light pattern. So why a beauty dish? Many photographers prefer the directional control and spherical light quality as it falls across a subject. This creates an observable transition within the context of a small frame. While softboxes create a greater spill, beauty dish lumen transition can be seen in a relative small area.This offers a significant degree of creative control for fashion photography and beauty. However, due to the light's swift falloff it is generally preferred with subjects where stronger contrast are more flattering as opposed to broader light sources that create less emphasis on irregular surfaces such as less than perfect skin.

The spherical nature of the light is clearly seen in this capture. Most photographers as do I, try to identify a sweet spot where the transition is perfectly placed. It varies depending on the conditions as well as the subject since the strength of reflection is governed by available light, exposure, DOF, and distance from the light source. Most might say that area is slightly outside of the physical center of the light source; catching the inner rim of falloff. This adds a layer of dimensionality to the shadow cast against the subject, creating more depth. 

Catchlights in the subject's eyes is also an attractive feature of the beauty dish's light. Most find that spherical conal pattern highly appealing. This spherical shape adds more life in the eyes, more specifically, depth created by the transition.

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That pattern can be seen in this image. As aforementioned, the subject lies just slightly off center of the reflective middle. For me this was the "sweet spot" for this particular capture. The falloff is clearly observable on the model's shoulder and this multifaceted characteristic is seen again on her nose bridge while the sphere is evident over the entire frame.


Again, this type of light is often used with subject's with above average skin and complexions. Be mindful that it will emphasize even the slightest irregular surface as seen on the wall the model leans against.

Like many other modifiers the beauty dish has accessories of its own including a sock and/or grids. Grids usually set into the outer rim of the dish and can be purchased in varying degrees often from 15 to 40 to control direction. Socks are made of a diffused fabric material that filters the light and softens it further, creating characteristics more like a softbox but with slightly more direction.

The beauty dish is certainly my preferred modifier and it is available in several different sizes. My personal favorite is the Mola beauty dish as seen above.