The Mermaid | Megan Daly | May 27, 2023
Some simple press and promotional photos for DJ M DALY
I met Megan at Miami Music Week. She had a carefree style and was very kind. Turns out she’s a DJ and needed some simple promo photos to promote her local gigs. The vibe was to be simple, and feminine. If I remember correctly, she was promoting hotel & daytime parties, so it made sense to keep it simple, and go with the beach girl vibe. I hope we hit the mark. It was a fun and easy going experience.
I’m still waiting for you to reach out about this mermaid thing, Megan! ;)
Con Dai Salaberry | @dai.salaberry | April 20, 2023
A Miami Beach afternoon with Dai.
Dai is a force of nature. They say good things come in small packages, and that couldn't be more true for her. I first met Dai during Miami Music Week at The Sagamore, and I was immediately drawn to her vibrant energy. Fast forward a couple of weeks, and we found ourselves on Miami Beach for an afternoon shoot. Dai's presence was captivating, and her eyes were truly mesmerizing. Her infectious enthusiasm made every shot a delight to capture. Shooting with Dai was an absolute pleasure, and I can confidently say that she brings a unique and powerful energy to every moment. I hope we can work together again someday.
Dai es una fuerza de la naturaleza. Dicen que las cosas buenas vienen en paquetes pequeños y eso no podría ser más cierto para ella. Conocí a Dai por primera vez durante la Semana de la Música de Miami en The Sagamore e inmediatamente me atrajo su energía vibrante. Un par de semanas después, nos encontramos en Miami Beach para una sesión fotográfica por la tarde. La presencia de Dai era cautivadora y sus ojos realmente fascinantes. Su contagioso entusiasmo hizo que capturar cada toma fuera un placer. Filmar con Dai fue un placer absoluto y puedo decir con confianza que ella aporta una energía única y poderosa a cada momento. Espero que algún día podamos volver a trabajar juntos.
Sunrise with Katia | April 19, 2023
A long overdue sunrise shoot that moved from the beach to the pool, with Katia
I’ve been writing these things since 5am. (Dec 26, 2023) It’s now 130pm. I’m having a lot of difficulty putting into words how amazing this experience with Ekaterina was. I can’t tell if it’s because I’m exhausted and a little burned out from all the writing today, or because this shoot was so long in the making and so exceeded expectations on all levels. We’d been trying to do something for so long I can’t even remember how long it was from first contact to shooting. Every time Ekaterina would pop in my feed, I’d shoot a message. Maybe 2-3 times a year for a few years. It was worth the wait. These images are fantastic, and it was one of my favorite experiences of the year, for sure. I drove up to Delray Beach at 5am to catch a sunrise shoot, popped a black mist filter on my lens, and we went to work. I wouldn’t call it work, though. It was such a lovely day talking with and creating with Ekaterina. We finished up at the pool at her home, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the fruits of our labor. Calling it labor isn’t fair. It was fun and pleasurable from the moment we started. This is another one of those shoots that I truly hope we get to do it again, sooner than later. Hopefully it doesn’t take years, like it did the first time.
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Ann Atman | @ann_atman | February 26, 2021
A beautiful morning with Ann Atman. Photographed & edited by Stuart Tracte
A beautiful morning with Ann.
Зйомка, яка переросла у справжню, фантастичну дружбу | Oksana Butovskaya | March 9, 2023
What started as a photoshoot became an opportunity to make new friends.
I used to be a card carrying member of the Anti-Photographer Photographer club. For some stupid reason, I, and many of my colleagues, don’t talk. We don’t support one another. We feel like we’re competing for the same eyeballs and dollars. Being a freelance artist is difficult and if you’re in my way, you’re my enemy. This is a terribly stupid and limiting way of thinking. Maybe it comes from shooting music events? Everyone is jockeying for the same spot, for the perfect shot in the DJ booth, or at the center-back of the venue…. I don’t know. Once again, it’s stupid, and a very antiquated way of thinking.
But I digress…. Oksana posted in a Facebook group that I am a moderator of, for Miami based photographers. Her work was incredible, and she has a very respectable social following. It has become extremely difficult to communicate with potential collaborators in this day and age of social communications. Models are getting hundreds to thousands of random request from random photographers of varying levels of talent and experience an it has to be excruciatingly difficult to choose, and follow through with anyone, especially those that are just trying to make something cool, for the sake of it.
She was super easy to talk with, so we planned our shoot. But, she said she could only do this if she could bring her boyfriend, who is also a photographer. Typically this would be a dealbreaker for me. Both for the bullshit egotistical reasons I stated above, and because, in my experience, unless there’s a whole team and large production, these small creative shoots go off best when attention is focused between photographer and subject. I have had more than one shoot that I felt went south because the subject (both male and female) were playing to their friend and not me. (Those clients probably don’t know… its just a creative preference)
But 2023 was a different year for me. It was all about giving, not taking. It was all about putting positivity into the universe, whether or not I got it back. (I’m writing this on Dec 26, and I can surely say IT WORKED. This year has been fantastic) So…. I said yes, bring him.
I could keep talking about this, and listing all the details. but I will skip to the gist of it…. She brought Nick, and the two of them became my friends. And I don’t mean the bullshit “friends” like social media has devolved the word. I knew these people for less than one month, and they showed up to my birthday (during Miami Music Week) with a cake for me! I have friends I have known for 20 years that would never have thought to do something like this.
Time to wrap it up. They are both incredibly talented and I am very grateful and fortunate to have them as my friends. You MUST check out Nick’s work too.
There are more images from this shoot that I might add at a later date. I still have this shoot in my “unfinished” folder.
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Crushing on Kate | Kate Makiela | February 26, 2023
Shooting with my friend and wonderful multi-faceted human, Kate.
This is the second time I am shooting with Kate, on the same beach, one or two years apart. We always seem to want to get together and create, but it's always last minute and on a trip that isn't intended for shooting. Kate is one of a kind. There aren't enough words to express how I feel about her as a friend and collaborator. However, I will admit, I hope that one day we can plan something more deliberate. She is such an amazing model, and we both deserve more than just the spontaneous "show up at the beach with what's in my bag and shoot" approach. Although, what the f**k am I complaining about? I have the incredible opportunity to shoot and hang out with Kate, and that in itself is something truly special.
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7 Looks With Katie Cook | February 25, 2023
Almost a year in the making, here’s what a day with Katie Cook, her suitcase, and a gorgeous South Beach home looks like.
I met Katie at Miami Music Week 2022, and it took almost a year to finlly get the chance to create with her. She brought everything I’d imagined; beauty, experience, style, confidence, and generosity of spirit. We had a gorgeous home to use as our backdrop, and here are the fruits of our labor.
Sometimes, when you’re being spontaneous & testing, you create something amazing. Sometimes you find things you didnt expect. Sometimes, you miss the mark, and what was in your head just doesn’t materialize. This shoot was all of those things. I don’t know if it was what either of us expected, but I am grateful for the experience, and home for the pleasure of creating with Katie again someday.
(click images to enlarge)
Ridiculousness with Raven | Raven Riley | February 3, 2023
Get out there. Be stupid. Have fun.
I hadn’t seen Raven in YEARS. We had a brief shoot that went super well, and the vibes were fantastic. Sometimes you make new friends when you shoot. This was one of those times.
Then the world fell apart for a brief two years. It changed so many of us in so many ways. One goal of mine this year is to be prolific. To get back to getting out of the house and shooting for the love of it, not just the business. I knew this would be a sexy shoot, but when I arrived, we just started laughing and coming up with the silliest of ideas. So… join us, as we go from serious/sexy to silly/stupid. I promise… there will be more whimsical shoots like this in the future! (Be sure to browse through for the GIFs!)
Testing with @bbytwee | Theresa Grant | 1 of 2 | February 17, 2017
Once upon a time, I had the opportunity to photograph @bbytwee
Theresa was incredible, as you can clearly see below. This was shot as part of a test for Ford. The incredibly talented and severely underutilized Michell Lelia did the makeup/hair. You’ve gotta check out Theresa’s stuff. She’s out there kicking ass, it seems. There are so many dope shots here that I had to split this session in to two posts. Stay tuned for part II.
Making Memories with Marie for Montce | Marie Vigr | July 14, 2016
A truly magnificent shoot with Marie Vigr.
Sometimes friendships are made on photoshoots. This was one of those times. Marie and I had a wonderful day creating, talking, and setting the stage for a long friendship. She’s since moved back to France, but we keep in touch and I’m quite happy about that. Here are the incredible fruits of our labor. It was and still is some of my best work.
The swimwear was graciously donated by Montce. Michelle Lelia did the hair and makeup.
