Future Horror Movie Superstar Michael!

Alright, you guys, you're gonna love this. I think it's pretty well-established how much I love, and I mean LOOOOOVE the horror movies. It's serious.

Michael here needed some headshots, so we planned a time to get together and that's when I started asking him what kind of acting he was wanting to do and he told me he wanted to get into HORROR MOVIES! How unbelievably cool is that? I am so for it, and you know I'll be all huddled up in my seat, breaking Billy's hand with one hand and pointing at the screen with the other, yelling, "I KNOW THAT GUY!" I'm so excited for that day.

I don't know if anyone believes in signs, but let me just tell you a couple things that may be interesting coincidences, or may be omens of success. First of all, his name is MICHAEL MYERS. Michael Myers, people! For those not into the whole horror movie thing, that's the scary dude in the Halloween movies.

Secondly, we did the first part of the shoot at a forest preserve, and we had the weirdest moment with this little blackbird hovering in the air and squawking at us. I've never seen anything like it in my life. I gave Billy an account of the story later, and as you know from the babies, when I do voiceovers, everyone gets a little ghetto, so it pretty much turned into a turf war between us and the bird. But I TOTALLY digress. The point is, it was all very Hitchcockian. More horror royalty! Good signs, I'm telling you people!

I got so wrapped up in horror nerding after that last pic that I didn't say much about it, but I think that it probably speaks for itself. This is obviously a variation of the same shot.



Michael has very pretty eyes, as I think you'll get a better view of in some of the coming pictures, and I loved the outdoorsy look. Not very scary, of course, but you have to have a wide range so that you can fool the heroine into thinking that you're a nice guy so that it's SUPER shocking when you turn on her with a chainsaw or whatever.

Also, fun common interest sidenote, Michael is the only person I know besides myself and Billy (who I basically forced) who watched Scream Queens on VH1. Man, I loved that show. I think it's time for the Scream Kings version, and I nominate Michael Myers.



Michael's super cute, super fun girlfriend Kim came along and kind of acted as my impromptu assistant--she ran after my bag when I forgot it, and she stood behind me entertaining Michael and making him feel good about himself.

And aren't they CUTE together? He is majorly giving her The Look. I can only hope that this doesn't end up in scary rubber masks and blood and guts! (I really hope I'm not taking this all too far and coming off like a complete weirdo who's making people uncomfortable. I just REALLY love horror movies and get REALLY excited about them, and I'm happy that someone else loves them too and I get to talk about it. So hopefully everyone is just enjoying it with me and not thinking I'm a sociopath.)



This picture is really interesting to me, actually. I shot Michael from a lower angle because he's thin enough to get away with it (usually shooting from below is unflattering, almost universally, in my opinion--you have to have a very strong jawline for it to work, at least in my experience). And even as I was taking it, I LOVED it, and I knew it was incredible. I joyously announced that it was The Hot, and Kim agreed, and I never chimped it, I was so sure. (Chimping, for those not in the nerdy photographer know, is looking at the picture on the back of your camera--monkey see, monkey do, if you will.) I totally should have, because they were really blown out. I played around with them and decided they MAY be salvageable in black and white, so I told Michael that and it ended up being one that he chose. I consider it a very beautiful photograph although with a bit of an experimental look, but I love how his eyes really jump off the page at you.



Speaking of, Michael did choose all of these photos from our shoot to use. I loved this lens flare pic, but I was a little surprised he chose it, and I don't even know why. I mean, who doesn't love some lens flare? I guess I thought maybe it was something that photographers like more than clients, but I am proven wrong! But anyway, his choice is my gift to anyone curious about how I got some lens flare (and it was my gift from the internet, so, you know, very rare, valuable, sentimental, etc.). Apparently, the trick is a smaller aperture. Awesome, right? And so easy. I tend to shoot with a pretty wide aperture, so this fact didn't really present itself to me, and I had to read it. Maybe someone out there is the same way, and now you know the secret to crazy lens flare. Woo!

I've been wooing an awful lot lately.

Thanks again, Michael, for choosing me to do your headshots, and to the beautiful Kim for all of her help! I hope to work with you again, and wish you a bright future of blood, guts, gore, monsters, ghosts, vampires, hopefully some 3-D, but no mummies, because those are lame. Break a leg!

Future Superstar Kristin's Headshots!

You guys, Kristin is like ... the coolest. Ever. And we met in the most entirely ridiculous way.

I subscribe to a couple of feeds on Craigslist that post creative jobs, so that I know when someone is looking for a photographer and I can get in touch with them. People on Craigslist can be kind of touchy if they feel like people aren't paying what the job is worth, and I totally get that, but I also try to keep in mind that different people have different needs and different budgets, and in general, I'm not one of those "reply posters".

Except for this one day.

Someone had posted some really rude post about how he needed headshots but how headshot photographers were too expensive, but he would buy someone lunch to do it. WHAT?!?! And the whole thing was just so snotty and rude that I couldn't handle it. So I uncharacteristically made a reply post and it's possible that I called him a turd. And by possible, I mean ... I totally did.

So anyway, Kristin sees this and sends me an e-mail and is like, "Yes, I totally agree, and I need some headshots, so what do you say?" And naturally, I was all over it. I told her later how amused I was that she responded to me in smackdown mode, and after I called some kid a turd, and she said that she could just tell that I meant business. Ha! I love this girl!

Plus, she's totally gorgeous and photogenic!

I was letting her flip through the pictures on my camera when we were in the car, and she stopped on this and was like, "THIS IS MY HEADSHOT." I was so excited! I love it when people are happy with their pictures and get something they're truly in loooove with.

I just think this is too cute and I love the headband. We went out to the beach near Rogers Park, and it was still cold so it was fairly deserted, which was awesome. The ice and snow on the lake just made a perfect backdrop. I was BEYOND thrilled to get to shoot at the lake, because I consider a nearby beach one of the great perks of moving here. :)

And a smiling shot! I can't remember if this one was taken at the beach or if we were at the Baha'i temple in Evanston, which has some cool gardens but is really just an amazingly impressive building. I had no idea that something like that existed, so in addition to a photoshoot, I felt like I got a little field trip too!

For these last two, we were in Kristin's apartment, which was like ready-made for some pictures. She had bright paint on the walls (which perfectly coordinated with the outfit, I thought) and north-facing windows. And the camera just loves her.

And finally, this one! Great angle, great light, great model! Kristin was telling me about the kinds of acting opportunities there are in Chicago ... there's theatre, of course, and also a good amount of film, but something I didn't know was that a lot of commercials are shot here. So I'm hoping I get to see her in a national commercial soon! Plus, I graciously offered to let her buy me a car when she hits it big. :)

Thanks again, Kristin, for being so much fun and for finding me in the most unconventional way!

Tad: Headshots

Now you might be asking yourself, is this a headshot or the next cover of Teen Beat? The truth is ... I don't know. I don't know.

But seriously, it's Tad, the realtor with the boyishly good looks! Me and Amity, before she and Tad got married, spent a lot, and I mean a LOT, of time watching the Jesse's Girl music video at the end of 13 Going On 30 and discussing Tad's resemblance to Rick Springfield. So really, picturing Tad on Bop Magazine or Tiger Beat is really not all that much of a stretch.

What was I even talking about? Oh, right. Tad. Realtor. So I took these headshots for his business cards and I'm only putting up a couple, because, let's face it, headshots do not have a lot of variety.

Also, though, Tad is a really good friend and a really great and honest person, so if you're ever in the market for a realtor, in all seriousness, I would recommend him to my own mother, that is how much I trust him. He works for Century 21 Scheetz downtown, or I can always give you his info.

Plus, while we were taking these shots in Fountain Square, I discovered my new favorite corner--rusty door on one side, blueish bricks on the other. It's a little grungy and a lot perfect.