"And so we gaze obediently at what we are told to gaze at, without exactly asking why."

- Julian Barnes

When Kait came over, I didn't even have a story in mind, not really. Just images I'd had in my head, light setups that I wanted to actually film instead of shoot. Light setups that I'd run a proof of concept with, but hadn't yet worked with a person.

But, within three hours of shooting, we had the beginnings of a story that I would finish tell in the edit.

And, this is what we did:

A Year in Grey and White

Originally Shot: 2013

Models: Mistress Samira Nile, Erica Jay, Glass Olive, Sarah Hartshorne, Andrea Rosu, Lux Suicide, Elena Siddal, Jasmin Rituper, Jacs Fishburne

Locations: Brooklyn, Manhattan

Since 2012, I've been grinding immensely hard at becoming a better photographer, every day better than the last. 2013 is where I started to feel like I was making some strides. Each of these photos comes from different parts of that year, with different models who mean something different to me.

Samira was one of the first models I worked with who had less experience being in front of a camera than I had behind it. She was funny and dorky and sweet, a fellow Brooklynite who didn't live too far away from me.

Erica Jay was the first professional nude model I ever worked with, and one of the best out there. Because of her, I UNDERSTOOD what a real model brings to the table, the value that they have for a shooter, especially a young one who doesn't know nearly as much as he'd like to but was eager and earnest and wanted to learn.

I've talked about Olive before, here. Same deal: she was always one of my favorite models to work with, and I miss those rare nights when we could shoot and gab and shoot and gab some more. 

Sarah Hartshorne believed in me at a pivotal point in my journey, in a way that I didn't realize I needed. I still remember how many of the shots I screwed up on the first shoot we had together, and how I swore to myself to find a way to do so much better if I was ever given the chance. I've certainly done better, but still fighting to do her justice every time we shoot.

Andrea Rosu was a dream to work with. By the time we parted ways, we'd come up with a couple of inside jokes. Hey, Andrea, if you're reading this: CBT!

Lux Suicide - Lux is the shit. One of the most badass people I've worked with, hands down. Centered, practical, and a fucking rockstar.

Elena Siddal is, in the very best way, a New Yorker: smart, brash, sassy when she wants to be. Absolutely lovely, and very wonderfully skilled poser.

Jasmin Rituper is another I've posted about before, here. We shot once so many moons ago, and some of those shots are still some of my absolute favorites. Ever. EVER.

And, Jacs Fishburne. The fucking wildchild, all punk rock and gangly limbs and a fearlessness about her that I admire to no end. The first time we met, she was wearing a Star Wars t-shirt. I knew we were going to get along just fine. And, we did. I can never say enough about Jacs. Never.

And, that's it.

Mistress Samira Nile

Erica Jay

Glass Olive

Sarah Hartshorne

Andrea Rosu

Lux Suicide

Elena Siddal

Jasmin Rituper

Jacs Fishburne

"In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present."

- Francis Bacon

Model: Jennifer Chicheportiche

Haunting of the Blue

Originally Shot: 01-19-13

Models: Teresa Fontana

Location: Shetler Studios

This was my second time shooting with Teresa, and one of the earliest shoots with my then, brand spanking new, 40mm lens. It was a crazy early morning for both of us night owls - she came in with minimal sleep after a fun night out. Even back then, I didn't sleep very much at night anyway.

But, hey - Shetler's Early Bird rates are CRAZY - $9 bucks an hour before noon? Yeah. So worth it.

We covered multiple looks during the shoot, but this has to be one of my absolute favorites. Teresa's playfulness and willingness to just do interesting, wonderful things in front of the camera was setting the bar for what I needed from all of my future collaborators. I never thought I ever did her beauty justice then, and I still don't think I did. But, hey - it's all in the trying, ain't it?

With Caroline Johnson

Red, of course, is the colour of the interior of our bodies. In a way it's inside out, red.

- Anish Kapoor

The Chasing of Golden Hour

Originally Shot: Summer, 2013

Models: Erke Roosen, Marlies Bell, Shayna Craig, Jesse Rodriguez, Shannon Lower, Al Patrick Jo

Location: Financial District

One of my favorite "stupid human tricks" is accurately predicting how much useable sunlight is available. No, seriously: half the time I can't articulate it, but judging by length of shadows, position of the sun in the sky and just a good gut-feeling, I can tell you how much time is left before sunlight's completely useless with a five minute margin for error.

You wanna learn how to do that? Spend most of a summer armed only with your camera and a buncha people willing to hop in front of it as you're learning, with an almost desperate fervor, how to shoot with just natural light.

I can't lie: it was a lot of fun. So much fun. I made a lot of friends through this project, friends that are near and dear to my heart, still. I stretched my photographic muscles. And, it was so, so warm.

New York's having a good and proper winter this year, and I'm not complaining. I like my seasons to behave. And, winter's supposed to be cold and snowy and kinda miserable. But, that doesn't mean that I can't think of warm, summer evenings; the shots I captured; the friends made; and the mad, passionate chasing of Golden Hour.

Boudoir photography is a celebration, I feel.

It's a celebration of hard work and pride.

It's a celebration of love and intimacy.

It's a celebration of power and confidence and passion.

And, let it be a gift of yourself to a loved one... or, to yourself. 

Spartan Royalty

Originally Shot: 03-16-14

Model: Hannah Goldy

Location: Brooklyn, NY

This was Hannah's first shoot with a serious photographer. This was a test for a concept I'd had to shoot lingerie/boudoir in a less traditional way that was still cool and cinematic and sexy.

We ended up becoming friends - she's an absolute sweetheart, we laughed at each other's jokes, and we're both students of Martial Arts.

When I first shot with Hannah, I believe her ring name was "The Drill."

These days, she's going by "The Queen of Sparta."

I dig it, man.  'Cause, you have to see her fight. Especially now, especially after seeing these pictures. She's crazy fierce, an absolute steamroller. And, tough. Our second shoot, she had bruises that danced up and down her legs, and she told me how a sparring partner had tagged her really good and that made moving into certain poses hurt; but, she didn't tell the dude, didn't want him to feel bad.

"The Queen of Sparta." Yeah. Fits in my mind.

With Cat Ropo

Only In the Shadows

Originally Shot: 06-16-13

Model: Glass Olive

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Olive fed me guacamole on that first day we met. I would've been very happy with just the guacamole, having lugged over all three overstuffed bags of my gear to her apartment in Bushwick. It was THAT good.

She was absolutely sweet and funny and a league and a half above my abilities as a fine art nude photographer at the time, but she was gracious and warm and patient. At the time, I was very proud of these shots, as they were some of the best shooting/lighting I'd done up until that point.

Now, I see more of the flaws in both technique and execution of my ideas. But, there's a real affection for this series, as well as the person who collaborated with me to create it, and that quiet afternoon where we played with light and shadow and form.

I still want some more guacamole.

(Other than a little bit of tweaking of the overall picture in Lightroom, Tatyana has not been Photoshopped in any way.)

The original draft of this was a novella-sized post, pretty words full of sentimentality and saccharine sweetness.

Tatyana's the Red Storm, and that simply won't due. Her work and her passion require honesty, not sentiment. So, I won't say much more than this:

The Red Storm is one of the toughest, loveliest and most awesome people I know. She's an actress, and a model, a sister, a lover, and a friend. A provider of delicious baked goods. And, a cancer survivor.

Please, take a gander at the Daily News' piece on her after her double-masectomy - and, how she was back on stage, rehearsing, ten days afterwards.

True story, bro.

This is also about the wonderful, amazing work of Cathi Locati, a fantastic artist with a mission that I'd never realized was absolutely important and vital: she's a professional Fine Artist and an Areola Architect. Her work helps that part of the process that we very rarely get to hear about: what happens after the survivor survives breast cancer and must now come to terms with her body.

I can't do justice to her work. I won't try, beyond honoring what she's done for one of my dearest friends with my camera:

Find out more about Cathi Locati's work at: Areola Architect

Find out more about Tatyana's Process after the Double Masectomy: Mata Hari's Lead Actress Tatyana Kot/Double Masectomy Story

Cheers,

Theik

Red Hats and Pig Tails

Originally Shot: 11/26/13

Model: Jasmin Rituper

Location: Shetler Studios

(I'm a huge fan of The KingKiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss, probably one of the best fantasy series I've ever read. As I was putting together this series, I couldn't help but think of this one particular quote, a warning from the darkness that wears a beautiful mask.)

Model: Natalie Walters

"You think I’m playing at some game? You think iron will keep you safe? Hear my words, manling. Do not mistake me for my mask. You see light dappling on the water and forget the deep, cold dark beneath...

...Listen. You cannot hurt me. You cannot run or hide. In this I will not be defied.

...I swear by stone and oak and elm: I’ll make a game of you. I’ll follow you unseen and smother any spark of joy you find. You’ll never know a woman’s touch, a breath of rest, a moment’s peace of mind.

...You know there are no such things as demons. There is only my kind. You are not wise enough to fear me as I should be feared. You do not know the first note of the music that moves me."

- Patrick Rothfuss

With Kate Collins

Do you know an amazing, dedicated, hard working actor who just NEEDS a break?

See, I LOVE actors. I LOVE the creative community. I LOVE what it's done for me and my life.

I believe very strongly in the POWER OF THE HEADSHOT(TM). It's one of the most important tools an actor has to get into those auditions where hard work and preparation meet an opportunity to live the dream - and, get paid WELL to do so!

I also believe in HELPING others with what I can.

So, once a month, I want to shoot one actor for no charge - full session. That means, they get the same deal I give my wonderful customers:

A 2-3 hour session, a full contact proof gallery, and 2 edited shots from a photographer who KNOWS what an effective headshot is, and who gets his clients WORK.

Here's the catch: this isn't for "free". 

"Free" means that I'm just GIVING something away.

"Free" means that you're getting something for nothing.

This isn't "free".

Because, this is for an actor where money and time have been issues that keep them from getting quality headshots.

This is for an actor who's been scratching at the doors of Casting and being denied entry at every turn due to a lack of good shots they simply can NOT afford at this point.

This is for an actor who believes in ACTING, in being a CREATIVE PROFESSIONAL, who just needs the right edge at the right time.

This is for an actor who takes the RESPONSIBILITY of being an actor seriously, and is crazy enough to want to pursue this dream because they can't imagine being anything else.

And, they can't recommend themselves. It has to be a friend or family member, someone who has seen their struggle and believes in them. Maybe, moreso than they could ever know.

Now, what I'd like for you to do, dear reader, is think of someone you know who might be in need. Real need. Think of them, then reach out to me:

Booking@TheikSmithPhotography.com

I'm looking for my next actor for December. Send them over as soon as you can!

Let's do some good. With that said:

November 2014

Frank is an awesome guy, and the first official entry on my blog. A mutual friend of ours recommended him for this after our headshot session back in October, and she quickly put him in touch with me. She told me that Frank is a young actor, who's been working crazy hard, and has a good heart, but he needed headshots to really start taking more steps forward in his career. And, as is the case for many of us, money's just so damn tight.

So, Frank got the slot.

On the day of our session, Frank came in from the rain, still in his work clothes - but, when it was time to rock and roll, he DID. He was a fantastic guy to shoot with, and our session was AWESOMESAUCE.

Check out the shots below!

So, I was a senior in college, looking down the barrel at the Real World approaching in a few months.

I was unemployed with no income, living at home and I was slowly realizing that my degree in Creative Writing that I’d been earning was going to be quite useless for a while. I wasn’t making any money learning stage combat and choreographing fights, and that if I had any hope, any hope at all, of making any money as an actor, I would need headshots.

Man, from soup to nuts, I made every rookie mistake imaginable when it came to getting my first set of shots!

First things first, I went with the cheapest option I could find. I knew of one photographer who I had mutual friends with, and she seemed cool to talk to, and I was really just happy to get something for the price.

The second mistake: I didn’t take into consideration that she primarily did fashion and shot models. I’m as unmodelly as it gets, had no idea what to do in front of the camera, no idea how to dress for it, no idea what I was looking for. Unfortunately, neither did she.

The third mistake: we shot outdoors. Around high noon. Without shade for MILES.

The fourth mistake: we really did have a good time, running around the salt marshes in Brooklyn (dude, I didn’t even KNOW there was such a thing! I was all for it!) and we shot and we talked and we shot and we talked, and we didn’t review much in the way of the shots. But, it was, in retrospect, the blind leading the blind.

The fifth mistake: when I got the shots, I wasn’t happy with them. They looked like me.. sorta? I guess? And, some of the “fun” shots were being suggested as headshot material. Some just weren’t flattering. And, I was given no real guidance as to which shot would be a decent representation for me.

My nagging suspicions were confirmed when my older brother (who’s a director, and has worked in casting several times in his career) told me, point blank: there isn’t one shot there that a casting director wouldn’t throw away.

Ouch.

That stung something fierce, but it was one of the pivotal moments of my life.

It was because of this experience that I knew the value of getting proper headshots taken by a professional headshot photographer.

Not a photographer who shoots fashion and can take a headshot, MAYBE.

Or, a friend with a spiffy new DSLR – lookit all the megapixels and things! – who can take a “good picture.”

A headshot photographer.

This is my promise to you:

More than anything else, I want you to have the best time shooting with me in an atmosphere of FUN and DIRECTED focus. I want you to walk away with the best headshots you’ve gotten in your life up until that point, a headshot that gets you called in, time and time again, for the opportunity to go after those dream roles, those name-making, career-changing roles.

I want to give you a tool that helps you SUCCEED.

Hell, even if you don’t work with me – my heart will go on, I promise! – that’s the attitude you must find in your headshot photographer.

And, it doesn’t hurt if they  know, personally, what it’s like to have crappy headshots taken of THEM, oh-so-many years ago and wouldn’t wish that upon ANYONE.

Especially you.

Cheers,

Theik