A Muse...

Music | Lontano by Jose Padilla

Sherri has been a long time friend and muse. I remember seeing her around various art events we would both attend. Then, in the neighborhood, a new café opened up and it just so happened she had her mornings there, quite often. Needless to say I found a new place to sip my americanos as well. Over the next few months, we finally got to know one another. In more instances than a few, Sherri has pulled me out of artistic lulls and it is easy to see why.

We've made various photographs together from simple studio portraits, candid shots out in the park, and photos that would be appropriate for at the time a non existent Photo Privé.



This photo is an great example to a question I often get about shooting with Photo Privé. "Do I have to be naked?" My answer would be, no. There are so many ways of making a statement without having to be nude. Often, the perception of a nude body can as provocative as a nude itself and sometimes even more so.

The Movement of Time...

Music | Hold you in My Arms by Ray LaMontagne

Time wasn't so important when I was younger. I remember thinking time moved too slow... A school year seemed like an eternity and even the summers over stayed its welcome. As I watch my child grow up, I know my perception of things have changed, not anything else.

I would hope to think that my time has made me more of a better person, wiser, more mature, more excepting... Ok, maybe not...

Tick, tick, tick... I do perceive now that time is moving faster, that there just isn't enough hours in a day to be able to get the things we need to get done, done.

Our children are turning into young adults, anniversaries and birthdays seem to circle closer and closer. Does anyone know where last June went?

Tick, tick, tick... Technology has turned things on end as well in regards to time. Each day, a new discovery turns last years fad gadget into obsolescence. Things are no longer repaired, just replaced. In the hopes of making our lives simpler and easier, have we gained any more insightful perspective?

So as we move forward into the unknown, with both time and technology seemingly to be not an ally, but more so a foe, what do we have?


A polaroid print, which can no longer be reproduced because time has deemed it obsolete.

Getting to a Place of Comfort

Music | Lost and Found by DJ Shadow

One of the biggest concerns I have with a client is to make sure they are comfortable. I've shot in opulent hotel suites to a bedroom in a small apartment. It doesn't matter how grand a space appears if the client isn't comfortable.

Jenn is no wall flower by any means, but again, I wanted her to be in a comfort zone wear she could get lost without feeling self conscious. Some of the best expressions with just the tiniest nuances can make a nice photo so much more.

From last week, here is one of our favorties...

First Shoot

Music | Dusk by Andrew Hill

My first shoot under the name of Photo Privé took me back to my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Barbara has been a client of mine for over 12 years. We go way back during our Vintage Motorcycling days of riding BMWs. We had talked about doing a shoot like this over 5 years ago, but I didn't really have the experience to do so. Fast Forward to this year, I was talking to Barbara about launching a business like this, but hated the term, Boudoir and anything that had associations with that word. She agreed and within moments came up with Photo Privé. Without batting an eyelash, I secured the .net domain.

It has been awhile since I flew back from Chicago photographing Barbara, but with her permission, here is one of my favorites from the shoot. The room had fantastic light pouring in from the window, which led to the great lighting.