Twisted Elegence with ANTM's Raelia Lewis

Recently I shot with the beautiful Ms. Raelia Lewis, who competed in the most recent cycle (21) of America's Next Top Model. This is actually the second time she and I have worked together. However, this time going in to the shoot, I really wanted to put more emphasis on the fashion, and not so much on her body (which is ridiculously amazing, btw!), because I believe Raelia definitely has what it takes to make it in both the high fashion, commercial, and swim wear genres of the modeling industry!

Thanks to the amazing team that helped pull this shoot off: makeup artist, Rodney Jon, wardrobe stylist, Dougie Newton, and art direction by R'kardo StVon. I was truly hoping to capture Raelia in a way I think she's not often seen, and in a way that would allow people to appreciate her beauty and versatility as a TOP model, because I can assure you, this girl is certainly no one-trick-pony and well on her to being on TOP!

Behind the Robes

Last summer I teamed up with my stylist friend Iyana Winfield and did a promo shoot for a new up-and-coming clothing line spotlighting authentic, Egyptian silk robes. We worked with the amazing model Greg Sarabuoh, and videographer Donte Palmer was there to catch the hard work of myself and my assistant Dorsea.

Check out this cool behind-the-scenes video of us braving the summer heat (and what seemed like a million mesquitoes) to create more photographic magic.

I Love A Quickie

Did I ever say how much I love black and white photography? Well, if you didn't know before, now ya do! I mean, I started out as a photographer using black and white film in a 35mm camera and developing photos in a dark room. My first introduction to "photography" was through black and white images, and I've always found shooting that way very dramatic, raw and magnetic. It reminds me of the classic photographs I'm often entranced by from photographers such as Richard Avedon and one of my all time favorites, Gordon Parks. There are loads of modern-day photographers who do this very well also that I love, and I think it's cool sometimes to just strip away the color, and bare a photo in all its artistic simplicity. So a pretty popular "modely" friend of mine, Billy Payne, happens to be in New York as a pit stop before his move to L.A., and we got together really to just meet and catch up after more than a year since last we saw each other, and that meetup quickly turned into a spontaneous photo shoot.

My Shoot With Bret Lockett for Sweat Equity Magazine

I recently shot NFL New Jersey Jets safety Bret Lockett for the Canadian fitness/yoga magazine Sweat Equity. Debra, Editor-In-Chief of SE contacted me for this last minute shoot and explained to me that they already had Bret prepared as the cover story, they just didn't have any images of him and needed shots with Bret in yoga poses and football gear. Although it was extremely last minute, and the turn-around time for the photos had to be within a few days of the shoot, I said yes, and took the assignment. That's really how this industry works a lot of times though--one minute you're free, and the next minute an assignment is knocking at your door (not literally knocking, of course).

Legacy: Through the Eyes of A Child

The month of March, I have to say, was one of the most incredible months of my entire career as a photographer! On March 1st, the debut of my first photography exhibit "Legacy: Through the Eyes of A Child" debuted at the 92Y Tribeca Gallery. Originally "Legacy" was supposed to only be a 3-day run, but the gallery loved the entire project so much they invited me to extend it for the entire month of March, fully curated. It's the first time an artist has had a fully curated, SOLO exhibition run for an entire month at the 92Y! And the truth is, in the New York City fine art world, many artists don't get the opportunity to have solo exhibits at all. They're often shared with other artists to fill a space, and if they do happen to be able to get a gallery completely to themselves, it's not usually an exhibit that lasts for more than a week--and even that's a stretch at times!