Two Days With Heather | September 8 & 9, 2023
I got to spend two days creating beautiful imagery with the legendary Heather Payne!
I met Heather about 10 years ago, and, despite only meeting in person that one time, we’ve kept in touch with an occasional message here and there. You know what they say… “timing is everything.” They also say, “location location location.”
If you put those two things together…. magic can and will happen.
So, we put those two things together, and magic happened.
Heather Payne, Founder and Creative Director of Emerging Heroes, is a renowned former model. She has worked with top designers and appeared in magazines like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.
Collaborations and tests never go exactly as planned, and that’s part of the beauty of the process. I like to keep my collaborations rather simple, as I get most of my creative energy from spontaneity on the day of the shoot. Its great to set guidelines, create mood boards, pull wardrobe, etc, but in that moment…. I’m always going to follow my gut, if there’s not a specific deliverable or goal to achieve. We had a plan, and surely followed it, but what you’ll see below is us not worrying about coloring within the lines we created before we started actually shooting.
This was a truly wonderful partnership. Heather is incredibly energetic, organized, and determined. I am very fortunate to know her and to have had the opportunity to create these beautiful images with her. I truly hope this is just the beginning of a long lasting and fruitful creative partnership.
Here are the stunning fruits of our labor. (click images to expand)
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.
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)
Posing with @pineapplepey | Peyton Bell | February 12, 2023
Peyton Bell is top notch. Great energy, enthusiasm for creativity, and fearless. Can’t ask for more. I look forward to shooting more with @pineapplepey
It’s always great to find new collaborators. Oftentimes, creative or spontaneous shoots are like dancing. Not only do you need to find a good partner, there needs to be a good rhythm. I met Peyton at the Motorcar Cavalcade, and we set up a simple shoot. We spend Super Bowl Sunday doing what NY Jet’s fans do…. not watch the game. Peyton has truly great creative energy. We had only a simple plan and creative chemistry, and I’d say we nailed the assignment. These are the results. (click image to enlarge)
I Can Shoot Commercial Imagery Too! | Brenda Lowe, Sebastian Frings, & Jake | February 11, 2023
Thanks to Sebastian & Brenda, I got a chance to shoot some more commercial style imagery.
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!)
Action with Ariana | Ariana Buscaglia | January 25, 2023
Getting gritty with Ariana
Ariana & I have been talking about shooting for a LONG time. Years. Its oftentimes difficult to sync schedules, let alone in this laid back city we call Miami. We bumped into one another at Art Basel back in December, had our first in-person conversation about the shoot, and that was the push we needed to make something happen. We were overwhelmed with ideas as well as the excitement of finally being able to create together. Here’s a bit of the magic we created that day.
Heaven with Haven | Haven Star Ross | July 22, 2022
An impromptu shoot with a superstar, Haven Star.
Thank Haven! This was a somewhat impromptu early morning shoot at a lovely home in Miami Beach. Sometimes, its great to keep it simple and quick when you’re collaborating with someone for the first time. We got some great images, but also laid the foundation for future collaborations. Keep an eye on Haven. She’s a rising star! You can check out her music here.
5 Looks with Cameron | 5 of 5 | Cameron Newbill | October 19, 2016
Cameron Newbill, Lauren Searle, & I made these images.
This was the last of 5 looks we photographed that day.
The final look was a simple cashmere hooded sweatshirt. We were quickly approaching sunset, and the wind was acting wild. Therefore, we only got a couple shots with this look, and I further proved to myself that using flash outdoors at this hour just doesn’t work for my style. The final image is proof of this, and is only here for narrative purposes. Cameron was and is a superstar. Her work is fantastic and deserves a look. The same can be said about Lauren Searle, who did hair and make-up for this shoot. We shot FIVE looks that day. This is the fifth.
5 Looks with Cameron | 4 of 5 | Cameron Newbill | October 19, 2016
Cameron Newbill, Lauren Searle, & I made these images.
This was the fourth of 5 looks we photographed that day.
Two more looks and we’re running out of daylight. The red bus seemed like a great backdrop for the green camo jacket. We were headed to the beach for the final look, and grabbed a couple more shots with this one before the wardrobe change. Cameron was and is a superstar. Her work is fantastic and deserves a look. The same can be said about Lauren Searle, who did hair and make-up for this shoot. We shot FIVE looks that day. This is the fourth.
5 Looks with Cameron | 3 of 5 | Cameron Newbill | October 19, 2016
Cameron Newbill, Lauren Searle, & I made these images.
This was the third of 5 looks we photographed that day.
Little Havana & leather pants. Seemed like a good idea. We were driving around and this spot screamed out to us. Cameron was and is a superstar. Her work is fantastic and deserves a look. The same can be said about Lauren Searle, who did hair and make-up for this shoot. We shot FIVE looks that day. This is the third.
5 Looks with Cameron | 2 of 5 | Cameron Newbill | October 19, 2016
Cameron Newbill, Lauren Searle, & I made these images.
This was the second of 5 looks we photographed that day.
I forget where the idea for the Sprite came from, but it was the perfect touch for this look. Cameron was and is a superstar. Her work is fantastic and deserves a look. The same can be said about Lauren Searle, who did hair and make-up for this shoot. We shot FIVE looks that day. This is the second.
5 Looks with Cameron | 1 of 5 | Cameron Newbill | October 19, 2016
Cameron Newbill, Lauren Searle, & I made these images. Karl Lagerfeld is on the sweatshirt. None of us made that sweatshirt.
This was the first of 5 looks we photographed that day.
Sometimes, I’m a stylist. I wish that Karl sweatshirt came in my size. I asked when I picked it. It was made of Neoprene too. So dope. Cameron was and is a superstar. Her work is fantastic and deserves a look. The same can be said about Lauren Searle, who did hair and make-up for this shoot. We shot FIVE looks that day. This is the first.
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.
