Sometimes I feel like I was given the precious gift of motherhood just to understand how truly wonderful my mom is.
There are so many gifts she gave to me – a love of garden and family, cooking and creating, and a deep love of reading.
I’ve always been a voracious reader (since hiding in the closet with a flashlight for some moments of peace and solitude in my raucous family of 6.) But it only struck me a few weeks ago that it all truly came from my mom.
Ric and I read to Isola often, just out of habit, pleasure, and to help her learn as well. It was on one of those times that my niece – age 10 – overheard me reading and she remarked, “I like the way you read. It’s like Grandma.” And she’s right. I have my mom’s rhythm, inflection and emotion… and I love it.
And as I lay reading to my daughter the very same Velveteen Rabbit book my mom read to me, I can’t help but smile, wipe a happy tear, and say “thanks mom” yet again.
There is a natural beauty that always flows forth in maternity photos, but Porscha… well, she makes a belly look good.
CBS loved our creative for our New Year’s so much, they asked us (Serena Creative) to make something yummy for The American Baking Competition.
Check it out here. Best part: eating the homemade props afterwards!
Gorgeous, talented Avery Clyde came for headshots and we were able to grab many sides of this talented actress.
Enjoy!
You can learn more about Avery here.
All right, I’ll admit it. These shots were fun to take. Girls and guns… what more could you ask for, right?
When good friend Sean Rourke asked me to come on board for the shoot and designs, I jumped at the chance. He’s a thoughtful person and a generous director. He know what he wants but also trusts his crew & talent to give it. Knowing that you’ll have the support to help realize his vision can make all the difference on set.
I knew nothing of the cosplay world before this project, and was blown away by the attention to detail and dedication these folks have. Yeah, I could probably insert a snarky comment here, but the truth is, it was a total blast.
As always, I wish I had more time to edit, and at some point I’ll do a pass at my selects from the shoot. (A few slightly more kick-butt and slightly less cheesecake images where the strong ladies truly shine.)
But for now, I’ll leave it as it was… a good time.
Did I mention I LOVE photographing musicians?
They have the ability to transform and reinvent their image with each new album, and this artist – Neil Nathan- went to the extreme this time. Known for his acoustic, folk style, I shot him while he was filming his California Run video with Ric Serena, and was thrilled when he flew out to shape his new futuristic look with me.
As renegade musician or militant scifi leader, he has broken clear from his old persona, and I can’t decide which I like more… I can only look forward to what he’ll do next.
Here’s also a recent article on his ambitious and optimistic attitude: turning dreams into reality (and features an image from our first shoot.)
Life is good… especially when it’s filled with music.
Come on, you know you wanna sing it.
Kelly has a gorgeous model serious gaze, but when she smiles, it lights up the room. I’ve had the pleasure of working with her on a test (for a serious look) and unexpectedly the next day for a fun, commercial look for ABC.
When she asked me to grab some headshots, I was glad we could show her range.
Every so often, I have the extreme pleasure of working with a model that truly connects. Every look, every pose she/he gives is stunning, and you just want to shoot them for hours, days even.
This happened when I recently shot Azia. We only had a few minutes to get this series, and she nailed it.
Can’t wait to work with her again.
You can see why…
PS – the last image was from another series I took with her. You’ll see more of that one soon. Just wanted you to see her versatility.
One of the best things about my job photographing people in entertainment, is getting to know the creative individuals behind the scenes.
If you don’t know these guys, you soon will – the Clyde Brothers – Ben & Rob. They’re a dynamic duo brother directing team, and they are just as funny and nice as can be. They put a lot of heart and talent into their work, and it shows.
We decided to shoot a range of looks (with more of an editorial bent), so they’d have a photo file for their needs. I think the images capture their sense of spontaneity and creativity. Enjoy.
Looks like LOVE can be found anywhere…
Spotted these cuties in my bunch from the Farmer’s Market and had to share!
Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day!