Last fall I connected with Vaughn Stewart, editor in chief of Cool America Magazine. We had a couple of great phone conversations and decided to shoot an editorial together for the winter edition of his magazine. He mentioned the possibility of using Forest Hills Gardens as a location. I took a drive out and we toured around the neighborhood. I fell in love with the area and saw endless possibilities of incredible images. Vaughn hit up a half dozen of the top New York model agencies and we both agreed that Braxton Claudill from One Management New York was perfect for the story. Vaughn tapped Brian Robinson, BDR Styling to create out looks.
Shoot day was a breeze. Although we photographed a couple of looks inside an apartment and on a beautiful balcony, Vaughn felt it was not consistent with the editorial feel of the story. Even though I loved the images, I had to agree. We piled into my car, parked by the local train station, shot two looks on the platform, a third look on the sidewalk, pulled around the corner and shot three looks on a side street. Might be the easiest editorial I shot, and I am in love with the results.
I was thrilled that emerging fashion designer Claudio Cina asked me to photograph his Spring 22 collection. Claudio and I had collaborated before on an editorial. Our energy and creative vision produced spectacular work. I was excited to bring our vision to his new line. This is the first season that Claudio introduced a complete menswear collection. He also debuted accessories including handbags, jewelry and sick hand painted boots!
Claudio wanted the shoot to have a tropical feel. We were considering a restaurant location but the hours and timing didn’t work. My New York photo studio seemed to be the best option. We mood boarded, sourced props, backdrops, floors, plants. After many phone calls and a meeting Claudio opted to keep it simple and just use a blue backdrop which evokes the Caribbean Sea and tropical skies. I felt it was a good choice. We want to feature his designs and not detract from them.
Cina is a force. The collection includes a cohesive representation of swimwear, beachwear, jackets, couture dresses, tops, bottoms and accessories. His silhouettes, fabric selection, embroidery, hand painting, graphic designs, color palette is beyond. For me the highlight is his hand beaded dresses, color blocked leather biker jacket and those killer boots!
Claudio is very particular about his models. He already had male model Raphael Diogo with The Society Management casted. The female model he wanted to use was not available due to her traveling to Milano for their fashion week. I recommended a half dozen top NYC model agencies. After a bunch of go-sees it was decided to go with Jenaye Noah, also with Society.
The shoot was effortless. The models were perfect for the collection. We started off shooting with Raphael and menswear. He totally understood the vibe of the shoot and brought the clothing to life. The same held true with Jenaye. Besides being gorgeous she is a pleasure to work with and showcased the designs perfectly. I really enjoyed shooting the two models together. Although they just met that day it seemed like they knew each other forever!
I love it when the client has a difficult job selecting final images, as was the case with this shoot. He spent a lot of time narrowing down photos for his final layout. I also love when the client requests minimal retouching. These photos are pretty much out of camera. There was no toning. Some corrections were made with stray hair, unruly fabric, lightening some shadows, but for the most part what you see is what we shot.
We are thrilled that CFDA Runway 360 decided to showcase Claudio’s collection. You can see the images from our shoot by clicking on this link:
Styled by fashion director Mike Stallings, we shot at a single location in Brooklyn. I love the simplicity of the wall, offering a dynamic backdrop to showcase our killer guys and the street style high fashion.
Below are a few images from the shoot. Check out my instagram to see more of the looks and my website for more fashion and beauty photography!
Very excited about the revamp of my client Member’s Only Fall 16 collection. I had the opportunity to shoot the campaign and catalog earlier this year. The iconic brand is updating the look into a fashion forward collection under the creative stewardship of Gene Uy. Keeping and building on the original legacy collection, changing lengths, silhouettes, fabrics and details gives the collection a contemporary cutting edge look while remaining true to the brand history!
Had a great time photographing male model Charlie Himmelstein from Request NY shooting this fun summer fashion editorial for And Men Magazine. Turns out Charlie grew up in my Brooklyn neighborhood. His personality comes through in the images.
Fashion stylist Andre Austin brought a cool selection of looks. Charlie was groomed by makeup artist and hair stylist Jackie Sanchez.
Some photographs from an editorial published in And Men magazine styled by Andre Austin. The model is Randy Lebeau, formerly of Fusion Model Management, NYC. I love the vibe we created in studio.
Eric Hason Photography, New York 