This stunning portrait of Lady Agnew of Lochnaw by John Singer Sargent (left) was hanging at the Frick in NYC recently, on loan from its home in Scotland. It’s a massive painting, almost as tall as me, and SO beautiful. The image stayed in my subconscious, as months later while shooting a senior portrait session, I put Cameron in this pose (right). It wasn’t until I was home culling through her images did I notice the how similar the poses were.
In my blog entry from a few years back I wrote about how all creative work builds on what came before. These portraits side by side show how true this this!
As a Portrait Photographer, I think it’s important to try new things, and learn from the masters. At a recent photoshoot, I put the eight hosts of a high school graduation party in a classic Annie Leibovitz group pose (top/hers), which resulted in a fun photo and a lasting memory of their friendship (bottom/mine).
Annie Lennox shot by Annie Leibovitz, such power. I used the pose out on Yulady, a beautiful yogi I wrote about in February.
Jessica Chastain by Annie Leibovitz, inspired by the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt.
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about my creative process. Finding inspiration from others helps me grow as an artist, and is a lot of fun!