Courtney Caldwell. Georgetown. October 22, 2009. All images © Tony Powell
To see the entire photostream click here!
© Tony Powell. October 22, 2009
© Tony Powell. October 22, 2009
© Tony Powell. October 22, 2009
© Tony Powell. October 22, 2009
© Tony Powell. October 22, 2009
© Tony Powell. October 22, 2009
Samantha Craig. October 21, 2009. Northwest Washington, DC & National Harbor Waterfront, MD
Makeup by Carl Ray
© Tony Powell. Samantha Craig. 10.21.09
© Tony Powell. Samantha Craig. 10.21.09
© Tony Powell. Samantha Craig. 10.21.09
© Tony Powell. Samantha Craig. 10.21.09
© Tony Powell. Samantha Craig. 10.21.09
© Tony Powell. Samantha Craig. 10.21.09
© Tony Powell. Samantha Craig. 10.21.09
DANCERS AND BODY MODELS CALL!
If interested, direct message me at tonypowell1@comcast.net instead of responding to this post or call me at 301.343.7805. I’m preparing for a gallery show – Body Language - of new images captured in darkness, experimenting with the effect of light on bodies in motion and at rest.
Looking for uninhibited, spontaneous dancers/models between the ages of 18-26 to collaborate with on this project. Up to 6 photos will be given to each dancer/model to add to your portfolio.
All photos taken in a safe, relaxed, and professional environment with a maximum time commitment of 3 hours. Forward this post to anyone you think fits the criteria and may be interested. Thanks, Tony
Click here to see the entire photo shoot!
© Tony Powell. Carrie Miller. 9th & G Sts., NW. October 10, 2009
Shortly before photographing Barack Obama and Lady Gaga for Washington Life Magazine on Saturday, Carrie Miller and I were able to squeeze in our first photo shoot together. I’d seen her a few times with lawyer and night-lifer John Burns, while I was shooting over the summer at the W Hotel, but I never had a chance to introduce myself. I decided to ask her to shoot with me when I saw her again this past Thursday night at the grand re-opening of the W. My instincts were dead on. Carrie is one of the most naturally gifted models I’ve worked with to date. I normally leave a shoot with a handful of usable images but the portfolio Carrie and I created Saturday yielded dozens.
© Tony Powell. Carrie Miller. Chinatown. October 10, 2009
© Tony Powell. Carrie Miller. Chinatown. October 10, 2009
© Tony Powell. Carrie Miller. Dupont Circle, NW. October 10, 2009. Clothing by Terra Boutique
Little did I know that time was of the essence if we were to make this work. She was heading back to school at USC Sunday night, so when I got the call on Friday that she could only shoot Saturday, I had to scramble to make it work. And work it did!
© Tony Powell. Carrie Miller. Chinatown. October 10, 2009
© Tony Powell. Carrie Miller. 9th & G Sts., NW. October 10, 2009
I didn’t want to try to round up a few assistants in a day so I decided to shoot before and during the “golden hour” – the hour after the sun has risen above the horizon line or the hour just before the sun dips below it – a time of day when the shadows cast by the sun are least harsh. With the help of her boyfriend John, I was able to shoot, guerilla style, at a few different locations around DC.
© Tony Powell. Carrie Miller. 9th & G Sts., NW. October 10, 2009
© Tony Powell. Carrie Miller. Dupont Circle, NW. October 10, 2009
Backgrounds exist everywhere. Training the eye to make use of any location and deciding how to light it is the great challenge. The process of creating an image is as rewarding, if not more so than the image itself. The only way to surmount a new obstacle is to take a chance at thinking or doing something in a different way. I’d never grow in understanding if I always did what I’ve always done. Instead of canceling the shoot when it started to rain lightly, I went with it, taking advantage of the even, overcast lighting produced by the thick overhead clouds – the greatest of all softboxes….and it’s free! With a set of brand new White Lightnings and my new Canon 5D, we set out to create something that was never there before.
Check out all the photos here !
Lindsay Kin wearing a vintage Bob Mackie © Tony Powell
Sunday’s fashion shoot at Meridian Hill Park and later – 35th & Reservoir in Georgetown – was like a dream come true. I never really thought I’d be able to assemble a first-rate group of hair and makeup artists, or work with models and designers that I admire without having deep pockets or Leibovitz as a last name. But with lots of honest hard work and plenty of gentle begging I was able to do just that.
Andrew Paterini wearing Andrew Nowell and Stefanie Ball in a gown by Carmen Marc Valvo © Tony Powell
Stefanie Ball and Andrew Paterini © Tony Powell
With my website launching on my birthday – November 14th – I needed one more photo shoot to complete my fashion gallery (for the time being) in time for the launch. My good friends Susanna Quinn and Lily Mazahery were gracious enough to lend me current and vintage couture dresses from their personal collections just for this photo shoot. With dresses by Vera Wang, Nicole Miller, Bob Mackie, and Carmen Marc Valvo, I was entrusted with clothing worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Lindsay Kin, Brooke Monahan, and Courtney Caldwell © Tony Powell
The hair and makeup team for this shoot were all new to me but it felt like we’ve been together from the start.
Lindsay Kin wearing Nicole Miller, Andrew Paterini, and Brooke Monahan in vintage Vera Wang © Tony Powell
I saw Shana Janelle Swain’s makeup before I ever met her, at a fashion show I photographed at K Street Lounge over the summer. Eduardo Bravo is a very popular hairstylist in Georgetown, and hair & makeup artist Myken Garcia was introduced to me by styling wunderkind James Cornwell backstage after the Fashion Fights Poverty (FFP) runway show last Friday night! One of the most talented and kind people I know, clothing stylist Anais de Viel Castel, agreed to help me bring the clothes to life. We started at Washington Life at the exact same time 3 years ago and have been friends ever since!
Crystal Hannon wearing a dress by Studio D Maxsi © Tony Powell
Two other meaningful things happened that night, at FFP. When I saw through my lens, model Lindsay Kin, walk down that runway in the Chinese Ballroom of the Mayflower Hotel, I knew right away I had to work with her. She was wearing clothes by Studio D Maxsi, and as soon as that set was over I left my camera (something I never do) to race back to meet both model and designer before being swallowed up by the next wave of outfits and models to go out on the runway. I had been waiting to meet the right model to wear the red Bob Mackie dress that leads this posting. When I met Lindsay I knew she was the one. She was kind enough to oblige and I can say that never has an idea in my mind been so easily transferred to the real World. I almost didn’t go the runway show that night…the organizers were very busy and I didn’t know if I had place from which to shoot. That’s the beauty of staying open, of moving towards fear, not running away from it. I went that night despite the fear I wouldn’t have a place to get a good shot. It turns out that FFP founders Sylvie Luanghy and Kadrieka Maiden not only had a place for me, it was the best center spot in the house…and I almost stayed at home.
Courtney Caldwell © Tony Powell
Andrew Paterini © Tony Powell
Courtney Caldwell © Tony Powell
Crystal Hannon © Tony Powell
Thanks to the staff of Urban Chic, yesterday got off to a great start with a photo shoot at one of the most solid and of the moment boutiques for ladies in DC. When model Courtney Caldwell and fashion blogger/stylist Mekeda Saggau-Sackey approached me – at Noche de Gala last Monday – about shooting there, I couldn’t resist. Washington Life Magazine has sent me there twice to cover events: Shoshanna Lonstein’s trunk show and a Spring shopping event, so I knew the layout, but found the back patio and parking lot to be great impromptu locations to take pictures. Courtney is a natural. I could have photographed her all day. I brought along my newest model/friend, Crystal Hannon, to get to know her, in front of the lens, before our really big couture shoot this Sunday – two very wealthy friends have agreed to loan vintage couture dresses by Vera Wang, Badgley Mischka, Calvin Klein, and Nicole Miller. Our first shoot together yesterday was a great success, even though my Pocket Wizards had a mind of their own and decided to trigger the strobes whenever they chose. I guess I’m heading over to Penn Camera today. After the Urban Chic shoot, Crystal and I found a wooded area on Whitehaven that was ideal for playing around with black and white photography. I learned from it all and the results exceeded my expectations. If I can walk away from a shoot with a handful of solid images I’m satisfied. Yesterday’s shoot yielded dozens. Let’s just hope that the rain stays away this Sunday!!!
Courtney Caldwell © Tony Powell
Crystal Hannon © Tony Powell
Courtney and Crystal © Tony Powell
The first installment in an ongoing gallery of images designed to challenge my eye to find form in any surrounding.
Donovan House Rooftop – Sunday afternoon, September 13, 2009
© Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
Click here to see the video from yesterday’s shoot!
I met identical twin sisters Diana and Kristine Petrochenko at the Endless Summer Beach Bash at L2 last week and immediately saw their potential for modeling. Lifeguards by day, and L2 hostesses on the weekends, by night, I assumed they’d never be able to squeeze me in to their schedule for a photo shoot. Much to my surprise they not only had time yesterday, but we’re already planning our second shoot. They’re here in DC for a few more weeks as part of a summer foreign exchange program with their native Latvia, so time is of the essence. I called on bulletproof makeup artist Carl Ray, stylist Christopher G. Johnson, and my very reliable photo assistant Kevin Smoot, for another day of shooting on the fly. Over a 4 hour period from an artist’s alley in Northwest to an electrical supply depot in Northeast, Diana and Kristine never missed a beat. Our final stop: the fountain at Dupont Circle, where locals and tourists flocked to watch the twins in action.
Makeup artist Carl Ray © Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
Petrochenko Twins © Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
Rhiannon Day © Tony Powell 8-10-09
Jacqueline Akoko © Tony Powell 8-10-09
Yesterday was probably one of the most artistically satisfying days of my life. Having been a studio photographer for so many years, a long-term goal has been to amass enough equipment and a team of stylists and assistants to enable me to set up shop wherever I’d like – indoors or out. It’s finally happened and yesterday’s shoot couldn’t have been more productive. A Higher Power is always at work in my life…it’s only when I get out of my own way can I feel its presence. I felt it in a big way yesterday when all the major components required for a successful photo shoot came together beautifully – but not without a few minor snags along the way. The hair and makeup artists with whom I was blessed to work with on this shoot each have A-list celebrities and politicians as regular clients, so I was particularly humbled when all agreed to work with me. Hairstylist Johnny Wright, makeup artist Carl Ray, and stylist Christopher G. Johnson, teamed up with two of my favorite models Rhiannon Day and Jacqueline Akoko, and my assistants Kevin Smoot and Poppia Ahmed for a full day of shooting in and around Georgetown. Of course I’d have to pick one of the hottest days this year on which to shoot. Even the steady breeze at Jack’s Boathouse (our first location) couldn’t abate the heat, which maxed out at 96 degrees. It felt like 105! My new Canon EOS 5D Mark II is, by far, the best digital camera I’ve ever owned and at 21 mega-pixels, it’s a relief to no longer need to rent it’s equivalent. After a few hours on the pier at Jack’s we packed up and headed over to Dean and DeLuca for a much-needed break before meandering through Cady’s Alley shooting guerilla style, from place to place, challenging myself to determine composition, aperture, and shutter speed on the fly. I felt like Andy Warhol with his entourage as we travelled (7 of us) through the streets of Georgetown en mass. What a scene we caused, a few times….all in the name of art! Next up? The Russian twins from L2 later today. Carl, Christopher, and Kevin are all on board. One more shoot next week and I’ll have enough photos from which to choose to complete the BEAUTY gallery of my website www.tony-powell.com, which I hope to launch by October 1.
Jacqueline Akoko © Tony Powell 8-10-09
Rhiannon Day © Tony Powell 8-10-09
Carl Ray, Rhiannon Day, and Johnny Wright © Tony Powell 8-10-09
Jacqueline Akoko and Rhiannon Day © Tony Powell 8-10-09
Hostess Lani Hay, Sharon Yang, and Christiana Gallagher © Tony Powell
After a long and tasty brunch with friends Johnny Wright, Rhiannon Day, Christopher Johnson, and Ashleigh Taylor, at Parkway Deli, I headed over to the home of Lani Hay and artist Mark T. Smith. “Impromptu Pool Party Party II,” their second backyard BBQ turned out to be a highlight of my week. I’ve known Lani for a while now, but not outside the many parties we’ve both attended, so it was a real treat to finally have a chance to relax in her space with her husband and friends. Their home, which I’ve dubbed, “Hay-Smith House,” on Potomac Avenue overlooking the Capital Crescent Trail and the Potomac River, is a paean to modernist design. The home could easily be photographed for a spread in Architectural Digest. (I was treated to a house tour by Lani from basement to master suite to artist’s studio.) The foyer alone is one of the most impressive in Washington, DC boasting, perhaps, the highest atrium I’ve seen in a private residence. The next thing you notice is Mark T. Smith’s art. EVERYWHERE! A very prolific and talented artist in several mediums, his singular vision defies categorization. He has developed an iconography all his own, very much like Calder, Miro, and deKooning…you know their work the instant you see it. No easy task. Most of the folks out back were new to me, except Erwin Gomez, Lee Brenner, Jeff Dufour, and soon-to-be wife, Jayne Sandman. What a change of pace to break bread with Jayne and Jeff in an informal setting. Mark was first to get in the “pool,” a 10-foot blow up that did the trick of beating the heat…Lani and others soon followed suit. A little imagination and the comfort of friends was all that was needed to be transported to the beach of your choice. The more adventurous could take a skinny dip in the full-sized hot tub on the other side of the house. (I chose the pool and my dad’s orange vintage Lord and Taylor swimming trunks from the early 70’s.) We even managed to get Habatat Gallery owner, Jay Scott, in the pool for a photo. He represents Mark, in Virginia, at Tysons Corner. Also there braving the near triple digits: Lauren Federico, Christiana Gallagher, the DNC’s Sharon Yang, Mirjam Krull, and massage therapist Emily Brundage of Healing Hands. If the next party I’ve been invited to there - slated for late November – is anything like this one, then I’m there…and plan to stay MUCH longer.
Mark T. Smith and Lani Hay © Tony Powell
Erwin Gomez and Sharon Yang © Tony Powell
Lauren Federico and Jay Scott © Tony Powell
Mirjam Krull © Tony Powell
Emily Brundage, Brooke Stonebanks, and Lani Hay © Tony Powell
Sallie Mae © Tony Powell
Impromptu Pool Party Part II photo © Tony Powell
Sculpture by Mark T. Smith photo © Tony Powell
Runners on the Capital Crescent Trail © Tony Powell
All the photos can be seen @ www.tonypowell.smugmug.com in the Abstract Gallery
Light Study © Tony Powell
As I was driving home from Donovan House on 14th street just before midnight last night, a glint of neon caught my eye, and like a tractor beam, I felt an overwhelming urge to turn the car around and make some sense out of the cacophony of colors and angles found in a sculpture outside the HR-57 Jazz Club. I can only imagine what I must’ve looked like getting out of my car in the middle of the night to photographically survey a piece of art amidst patrons eating and drinking on the club’s outdoor patio. Oh well! It was as though the sculpture was asking to be re-interpreted via another media, as though an unfinished dialog needed to be scripted.
Light Study © Tony Powell
Rhiannon Day © Tony Powell 8-2-09
In preparation for our upcoming fashion shoot at Dumbarton Oaks next week, model Rhiannon Day, and celebrity stylist Johnny Wright, agreed to a quick, preliminary photo shoot with me in between events we went to together on Sunday. After leaving a party at the home of the Jamaican Ambassador, we pulled into an area of Rock Creek Park, on the Maryland side, where the harshness of the sun was obscured by the tree line. Although I’m a strobist at heart, there is still nothing like available light for portraits. Rhiannon so naturally knows how to be photographed, that all I had to concern myself with was exposure and composition.
The place: Candy Cane City
Equipment: Canon EOS 20D with an 85mm f 1.8 Series EF USM Telephoto Lens, Westcott reflector (gold), 580 EX II speedlite (off-camera)
Rhiannon Day © Tony Powell 8-2-09
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