Commercial headshots at 1320Main Studios, Venice, Calif.
Here are a few favorites from a recent commercial headshot session w/ one of my favorite portrait subjects, Nana Agyapong, photographed at 1320Main Studio in Venice. The two of us have worked together a number of times over the past few years and I was thrilled when she came back to me for her headshots. This is a good opportunity to congratulate her as she’s recently been cast in Phedre les oiseaux (Phaedre the birds) an adaptation of the Greek myth Phedre, which opens at The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery on April 26. A great thing about the play is that it’s adapted to take place in Venice Beach! Find out more and buy your tickets HERE.
Last week I photographed the event In Conversation: An evening with Jay Mark Johnson and art critic Shana Nys Dambrot benefitting the Barlow Respiratory Hospital. The event marked the last week of a month long show, No Such Place, at the William Turner Gallery in the heart of Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. I’ve shot a number of Jay’s openings and always love doing it because I love watching the way in which people interact with his images as they try to figure out what they’re seeing and understand his process. It make my job as an event photographer fun as it allows me to hunt for fun moments of people pointing, leaning in as close as they can and generally engaging with the art in a way you don’t see at other exhibits. Plus, the work’s great and I always enjoy coming out to see his new creations. If you missed the show check out some of Jay’s work here: http://www.jaymarkjohnson.com
I don’t know about you, but here at Best Coast Photo, we love creative, edgy weddings! With that in mind, we recently teamed up with the amazing Brooke Avishay of Orange Blossom Special Events to produce a graffiti-themed wedding shoot that we hope will inspire those of you planning a modern, urban wedding. To do this, we enlisted the help of a number of talented local vendors and staged the shoot at the Crewest Gallery in downtown LA, where street art is king. It also happens to be available as a reception space! The couple – beautifully portrayed by models Monica Ruiz and Jason Dowd – were styled by Miss Tashina, who designed a truly unique wedding dress for our bride and put together a modern, urban look for the groom (complete with a Roy Lichtenstein-inspired Tupac undershirt for the reception outfit). Their hair and makeup, done by the talented Emily Dawn of Emily Dawn Artistry, complemented the look perfectly. The flowers were arranged by Mr. Caballero Creative, who did a great job of incorporating the theme into his work, and the amazing graffiti cake was custom-designed by Vanilla Bake Shop in Santa Monica. The menus, invitations and table markers were done by Brooke, who in addition to being a great planner, apparently has a knack for graphic design! And did I mention she was 8 1/2 months pregnant when she produced this shoot? Amazing! We had a great time producing the shoot and hope it inspires you to bring something different to your own wedding.
Credits:
Photography: Best Coast Photo
Event Planner: Orange Blossom Special Events
Stylist: Miss Tashina
Cake Designer: Vanilla Bake Shop
Hair Stylist: Emily Dawn Artistry
Equipment Rentals: A Rental Connection
Reception Venue: Crewest Gallery
Event Designer: Mr. Caballero Creative
