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Courtney Portraits!

Tony Powell — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 07:12:38 +0000

Courtney Caldwell. Georgetown. October 22, 2009. All images © Tony Powell

To see the entire photostream click here!

Posted in Art, Fashion, Photography Tagged: 2009, Courtney Caldwell, DC, Georgetown, October 22, Portraits, Tony Powell, Washington

Samantha Craig

Tony Powell — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:44:35 +0000

Samantha Craig. October 21, 2009. Northwest Washington, DC & National Harbor Waterfront, MD

Makeup by Carl Ray

Posted in Art, Fashion, Photography Tagged: 2009, DC, Fashion photography, MD, National Harbor, October 21, Outdoor Photography, Photo Shoot, Samantha Craig, Tony Powell, Washington

DANCERS AND BODY MODELS CALL!

Tony Powell — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:13:33 +0000

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

Posted in Art, Dance, Photography Tagged: Black and White Photography, Body Language, Dancers and Models Wanted, Dancers Call, Delphina Parenti, Model Call, Tony Powell

Carrie Miller Portfolio

Tony Powell — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:45:38 +0000

Click here to see the entire photo shoot!

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.

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!

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.

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.

Posted in Art, Fashion, Photography Tagged: 2009, Barack Obama, Carrie Miller, Chinatown, DC, Dupont Circle, Fashion Photo Shoot, John Burns, Lady Gaga, October 10, Portfolio Shoot, Portraiture, Tony Powell, W Hotel, Washington, Washington Life Magazine

A Passion for Fashion

Tony Powell — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:16:01 +0000

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

Posted in Art, Fashion, Photography Tagged: 2009, Anais de Viel Castel, Black and White Photography, Bob Mackie, Carmen Marc Valvo, DC, Eduardo Bravo, Fashion Shoot, James Cornwell, Lily Mazahery, Meridian Hill Park, Myken Garcia, Nicole Miller, Outdoor Photography, September 27, Shana Janelle Swain, Susanna Quinn, Tony Powell, Vera Wang, Washington

Portrait shoot with George Clinton

Tony Powell — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:48:35 +0000

George Clinton, photographed by Tony Powell

Thursday, September 24, 2009 The Lofts, Adams Morgan, at the home of Julian Epstein and Lee Barona

George Clinton © Tony Powell

Posted in Photography Tagged: Celebrity, George Clinton, Julian Epstein, Lee Barona, Portrait Photography, The Lofts, Tony Powell

Evenings in VOGUE

Tony Powell — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:32:15 +0000

Model Collage © Tony Powell

I jokingly told a friend – a few weeks ago – at the premiere of the Anna Wintour documentary “The September Issue,” that one day my pictures would be in VOGUE magazine. Little did I know it would become a reality much sooner than I anticipated. I owe it to Barbara Martin who recommended me to VOGUE after seeing my “The September Issue” after party photos taken at the W Hotel, an event she coordinated. None of this would have been possible without the support of Nancy Bagley and Soroush Shehabi, Owner/Publisher and CEO respectively, of Washington Life Magazine, who keep me in the public’s eye – photographing the best events in DC on a regular basis!

Mayor Adrian and Michelle Fenty © Tony Powell

So it came as a great surprise to be given the opportunity to photograph Evenings in VOGUE, hosted by the wife of Washington’s mayor, Michelle Fenty, and Nancy Koide. The fashionable crowd that descended upon Oya restaurant on 9th Street, in the District, was a who’s who of the DC social and nightlife scenes. The partial list: Mayor Adrian Fenty, Rima Al-Sabah, BET chief Debra Lee, Buffy Cafritz, Nini Ferguson, Debbie Dingell, Heather Podesta, Meryl Chertoff, Cindy Jones, Mai Abdo, Ann Walker Marchant, Nicki Kalokerinos, Andrea Rodgers, newly married Jayne Sandman, Becky Lee, Ellen Chube, TV anchors Lindsay Czarniak and Angie Goff, Kiki Ryan, Julian Epstein, Ernie and Debbi Jarvis, GEICO VP Rynthia Rost, Holidae Hayes, Jacqui Watson, and Rebecca Fishman Harris. DC Chief of Police, Cathy Lanier was there, sidearm on the ready, as well as the mayor’s mother, Jan Fenty.

photo © Tony Powell

My good friend and DJ Seyhan Duru worked his usual magic at the mixing table while 3 top models took turns strutting their stuff up on a platform in the latest fashions from New York. There was even a 3-chair makeup station sponsored by cosmetics giant Shiseido, where ladies could have their makeup touched up throughout the evening. The best finger foods I’ve seen in a while (crab cakes, mounds of sushi, and mini chocolate cakes) were being passed around all night and adding to the frenetic atmosphere? News crews, and the clamoring of people trying to get their picture taken with Michelle and the Mayor.

photo © Tony Powell

Posted in Events, Fashion, Nightlife Tagged: Andrea Rodgers, Angie Goff, Ann Walker Marchant, Becky Lee, Cathy Lanier, Cindy Jones, Debbi Jarvis, Ernie Jarvis, Evenings in Vogue, Heather Podesta, Holidae Hayes, Jan Fenty, Kiki Ryan, Mai Abdo, Meryl Chertoff, Nancy Bagley, Nicki Kalokerinos, Oya, Rebecca Fishman Harris, Rima Al-Sabah, Shiseido, Soroush Shehabi, Tony Powell, Vogue

Urban Chic Shoot

Tony Powell — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:29:24 +0000

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

Posted in Art, Fashion, Photography Tagged: 2009, Courtney Caldwell, Crystal Hannon, Fashion, Georgetown, Photo Shoot, September 22, Tony Powell, Urban Chic

High Kicking at the Dance Awards II

Tony Powell — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:52:02 +0000

Click here to see and purchase the photos!

One of my favorite times of the year is when the entire DC dance community comes together to recognize and support each other’s efforts at the Metro DC Dance Awards. This year’s ceremony, held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts’ Terrace Theater, was one of the most entertaining yet. We were all treated to a rare visit by “Martha Graham,” actually the NY-based female impersonator Richard Move, who, as the evening’s emcee, was able to channel Graham in a way that was both realistic and endearing.

Move’s devotion to Graham is apparent and his life’s work of imitation and total immersion has become an art form in and of itself. There were dance performances galore – scattered throughout the evening – beginning on the Millennium Stage at 6pm where the youth awards were given out, to the main event in the Terrace: Furia Flamenca, Joy of Motion Youth Dance Ensemble, ARKA Ballet, and Maryland Youth Ballet, were just a handful of the city’s brightest lights, from the local dance scene, to perform.

There was something for everyone – ballet, modern dance, flamenco, and even the dancing DC Cowboys!! I was overjoyed to see so many of my friends in one place and many of them winning awards: Septime Webre and the Washington Ballet for last season’s beautifully conceived, Celtic-inspired evening of ballet in the Eisenhower – Highland Fling (I went twice), Gesel Mason receiving the Pola Nirenska Award, my new friends Delphina Parenti and Jason Ignacio both receiving the award for Outstanding Individual Performance, Helen Hayes winning for Outstanding Achievement in Dance Education, and Brooke Kidd receiving the Kriegsman Award!

: Alan Kriegsman, Andrea Snyder, Naima Prevots, Sali Ann Kriegsman

The climax of the evening’s honors was the acceptance speech given by the internationally-renowned, Washington-trained prima ballerina and magazine editor Virginia Johnson, for her lifetime achievement in dance. In accepting the Pola Nirenska Award, she stressed the importance of talking about dance to people who are not involved in the field, about engaging those that may otherwise not have access to the arts. A high point for me was having an opportunity to photograph Virginia with her first ballet teacher, 91 year-old Therrell Smith, who attended last night’s ceremony.

After the tightly produced show we all went over to the Watergate’s 600 Restaurant to mingle the night away! Over 700 photos will soon be available for purchase and download.

Click here to see and purchase photos!

Posted in Dance, Events, Nightlife Tagged: 2009, ARKA Ballet, Brooke Kidd, Dance, DC Cowboys, Furia Flamenca, Helen Hayes, Highland Fling, Joy of Motion Youth Dance Ensemble, Judy Hansen, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Martha Graham, Maryland Youth Ballet, Metro DC Dance Awards, Pola Nirenska Award, Richard Move, September 14, Septime Webre, Terrace Theater, Therrell Smith, Virginia Johnson

As seen from above…

Tony Powell — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:28:51 +0000

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

Posted in Art, Leisure, Photography Tagged: 2009, Black and White Photography, Cityscapes, DC, September 13, Thomas Circle, Tony Powell, Washington