Staying true to Anjelica Martinez fashion, I did a spontaneous photo shoot yesterday with good friend Dani & new male model Ashtyn Long. It was a two set shoot, first I shot Dani & Ashtyn (who I dub “Angel” because he looks like one!) in a classic topless jeans only, Calvin Klein-type commercial shoot. Than after Ashtyn bid his good-byes we moved on to the more high fashion shoot with amazing hair by our new hair stylist Ginger from Van Michael Miami and make up by yours truly!
Ashtyn was the only one who knew who to curl someone’s eyelashes
I also enlisted the help of my good friends, fellow photographer Nicole Jean & one of my top models, Mayte Hodson. Nicole was kind enough to let me borrow her camera for this shoot (and future shoots) while my camera is being repaired as well as assist me with the lighting and Mayte helped with posing, styling, make up & hair…she was pretty much my assistant Art Director
The day started off insane with chaotic running around and models left and right hair spray and make up splattered all over the place.
Ginger working vigorously on Dani’s hair
Ginger (right) and I (left) getting Dani ready for the high fashion shoot
The first shoot was a hit! We got lots of great images and it came out very commercial and professional which is a BIG plus for me since that what I’m trying to shoot for! This was the first time Dani had posted top-less in photos and even though my main focus wasn’t the fact that she was topless…I was more interested in the relationship between the two models and really trying to get a nice sexy but innocent atmosphere going on. Dani was a little nervous but Ashtyn being his silly crazy self really broke the ice and made her (and everyone else!) feel comfortable.
Ashtyn’s comforting hugging and giggle sessions with Dani
He was always making sure Dani was comfortable and throwing in some hugs left and right (to the whole crew). It was a shame when he had to leave because that fun charisma was deeply missed…oh well their will be more of him to come!
Dani started getting tired and hungry when we began the “high fashion” shoot. Surprisingly it didn’t take many photos until we got the best shots for the series. I found fake butterfly wings from a decorative plant Mayte had in the room we were shooting and used it as a prop by having Dani bite down on it.
Mayte also got her hair done by Ginger! lol
I’ve been trying to focus on more commercial based headshots…but I’m going to start including more full body as more and more shoots roll around. It was an amazing day and a perfect shoot all together!
This is an idea I had floating around my mind for awhile. Originally, I wanted to do something entirely different with the make up. I wanted to do a “two-face” type make up, split down the middle. So when she would face right it would be one expression and when she face left it would be another.
But than I found UK magazine, ISSUE ONE, at the book store the day before the shoot. It was really weird because it was very similar to the theme and color schemes I was thinking of for the Geisha Woods series. I changed the make up to look similar to the make up on the cover of the magazine to try to create that “high fashion” look.
I was very pleased with the way it all came out. You can view the final set for my portfolio here and view some bonus shots here
Here are some behind the scene photos with commentary:
This was towards the end of the shoot when we were both tired and I had some shots left so I told her to be silly and just jump around and do silly things.
It’s been a while since I posted some Before & After’s…this is from a shoot I did last month with a client. I wanted to show you the before and after so you could see exactly how much editing I put into these photos. I’m going to try to create some flash animations showing the before & after sequence soon…so stayed tuned!
View animation of the before and after photo above by clicking on the photo
This was my VERY first BIG PRODUCTION shoot! It was amazing! I got to work with the amazing and talented, Miki Moro, three amazing mua’s (make up artists) Ms. Morina, Samari Rodriguez & Marilyn Wild and last but not least the FOUR beautifully talented models (in order by appearance on banner from LEFT to RIGHT, Ginelle. Jessica Rachael, Ivette R & AJ Knapp!
We originally were supposed to have 7 models…but the other three couldn’t make it. And we were also supposed to have a hair stylist…but same issue. However, the mua’s did a great job with hair and I also helped style Jessica’s fauxhawk (it fell apart..kinda cuz of the humidity and not having hair glue didn’t help either…) and AJ’s hair.
I’m going to put some before and after shots here but I’ll put a slideshow so it’s easier to view on here…and I will post them on flickr as well.
The shoot was amazing. I really felt like a guest photographer. Jessica (aka Miki Moro) and I took turns with each “set” of models, the classy group and the punk group. I wanted to combine some shots with the two of them but since one of our punk models had to to go I didn’t get a chance to execute that shot…and duh I forgot also.
I was also the art director for some of the shots by Jessica (obviously my own shots I directed) and a WARDROBE stylists :D. I was so excited! It was a lot of fun. I met a lot of great people and got a taste of what it will be like working in big production shoots in the future.
We shot this at Jimbo’s in Virginia Key (Miami) Florida. A lot of interesting people there…fisherman really, enjoying their booze and fishing. We got to strike up some conversations with many of the people there…and Richard (Jessica’s boyfriend) even scored as the use of this guys bike!
It got kinda uncomfortable at some points just because you’d occasionally hear some rude, sexual comments, like “why are you putting more clothes!? Take them off!”, people walking in our wardrobe changing room, or make up set. >.<
There were many other photographers there (it’s a popular spot…and apparently them filmed Flipper there!)..one photographer kinda just went right through our make up area and started photographing in a little shed that we were using as a changing room. I thought it was rude because she didn’t even ask if it was ok for her to shoot there even though we clearly had been using that area. I felt so bad cuz the models had to start changing outside where all these…hmm..horny drunk guys were watching. It pissed me off but I didn’t know what to say. I know it’s a public place…but still common courtsey.
I even asked this guy back at the mud pit for permission to shoot by the pit, hahah.
You can view the images here on flickr with full commentary by moi.
I did this shoot with Joanie-Ann, a brand spankin’ new model…about 3 weeks ago? But I really want to put up an entry about it cuz it was a hilarious shoot and experience.
Joanie had told me her idea of some hooker all glammed up but thrown in a mud pit. I expanded the story to make her seem as if she were doing her normal “duties” and than was murdered and thrown in a pit. But it came out looking more like she finishes her job and than becomes MUD GIRL…going back into her pit like Grendel or something…^^;
I really wanted to shoot this mud scene but I had no fucking clue where the hell to find a mud pit. So, I remembered Nicole telling me about a jacked up abandoned horse stable near my house on wiles road…but I didn’t know if it was West or East…so we drove West. And man was I lucky…Joanie was driving and I spotted a beautiful mud pit as we drove by this deserted piece of classic everglades land.
I was so excited I was like “turn around”…we fucking found it!” Than when we drove back…I saw this red jeep (full of mud on the tires and body)…I didn’t remember seein it before but I didn’t think anything of it.
So we got out of the car and started shooting near the pit first..since I wanted pix of her “clean” and than in the pit later. Than this monster mud truck comes thrashing out of the pit trail. That was cool…but scary.
The kids…not to be…um mean we’re rednecks and apparently this was their mud ridding pit.
You can just imagine..the whole time we shot we had to keep dogding the trucks. Ever couple seconds she’d go in the pit than we’d hear a truck coming and she’s have to scurry out.
Here’s that play in action!
This is wonderful Jeep driving through our shoot location, lol
Joanie cracking up while the guy gave us his warning speech…lol
And then of course we had the infamous 300 questions…
(drive by…stop jeep…stare backwards…laugh…drive back towards us)
“What are you guys doing?”
“Why are you doing this?”
“What is this for?”
“What’s the point”
And my faves:
“Is this a good shoot or a bad shoot?” <--WTF?!
“Why is she getting her expensive dress dirty?”
And the awards for stupidest remark goes to this one dude who while trying to cross the pit and wailing for his buddies to come pick him up and claiming he wasn’t a pussy clearing warned us that…
“Man, that’s dangerous! If I was driving…I wouldn’t have seen you…and I would’ve ran you over…and well sorry…that’s just how it would have been!”
Maybe not in these exact words but you get the point.
After we were satisfied (and still alive) I drove me and mud girl back home and she took a shower at my place…see the evidence.
All in all, awesome shoot, got some great shots, awesome model as well and I got to try out the speedlight.
EVIDENCE: We purposely put these heels out here to now get dirty…Jeep speeding through the mud ruined that…
This was my first collab with fellow photographer and now good friend, Nicole Jean! We just started chatting and have begun using the same model lol, Jenny, and we figured why the hell not work together! Great minds think a like, right?
Anyway, so this was the first time for us meetings…and the first time for us shooting! OMG, lemme tell you! I was so fucking nervous hahahah! It’s weird having another fellow artist there watching you…makes me feel like they are judging me at first…but than I smack that idea outah my head and just concentrate.
It was insane in the beginning…I rushed through makeup, hair and wardrobe..we also…(I dunno seems like it’s becoming a tradition)…sat down and viewed my last shoot “Mudd”..seems like we always end up doing this and it takes up so much fucking time! But it’s fun =)
Nicole captured some shots during that mess lol…oh lord…just ignore my vast…erm…chubbiness.. heh! =)
Than we rushed to the site…whoa! I was in awe! I went crazy..than we started shooting! It was crazy! It was like…mad paparazzi lol. Nicole would put her in a pose and we’d both stop shooting, heheh…I think we drove Jenny crazy! Nah, she’s insane like us
Than we kinda broke apart and did our own thing. It was hard for me to focus..,but I’m pretty surprised and happy with how the photos came out!
Alice than showed up..and I completely lost my train of thought (photoshoot wise)…I was stuck on the irkiness that I wanted to get her into a crazy 60’s dress too…but Jenny had to leave soon…so we scrapped the shoot of them together for another day.
I might not redo it…prolly do something else…to not make it so repetitive…
Candid Nicole while she was directing Jenny
Me directing…I pixelated it out cuz I look like a cow
You can view the final set for my portfolio 
