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© Tony Powell. April Rae Giangeruso. August 25, 2010
The time I got to spend photographing American Ballet Theatre ballerina April Rae Giangeruso was an afternoon I’ll never forget! Gracious, intuitive, and abundantly talented, are just a few adjectives to describe one of the newest members of ABT.
© Tony Powell. April Rae Giangeruso. August 25, 2010
© Tony Powell. April Rae Giangeruso. August 25, 2010
Check out all the photos from Donovan House at www.tonypowell.smugmug.com
© Tony Powell
One of the most relaxing ways to end a Wednesday evening this summer has been to make my way up to the roof of the Donovan House Hotel on Thomas Circle. This past Wednesday was the most enjoyable yet, of the half dozen or so times I’ve been there, due to the cooler temperature and more laid back than normal crowd.
Lorie Peters and friends © Tony Powell
Ever present DJ Seyhan Duru always does a great job keeping the right atmosphere going with his extensive catalogue of lounge-like beats. Stay in one place too long up there though, and you might miss seeing someone you heard was there…like my boss, Washington Life Executive Editor Michael Clements! I try to work my way around the entire pool area and end up over at the bar deck where there’s a never-ending stream of mingling. You never know who you’ll see. Two of my favorite people in DC were there – the inimitable Tom Quinn – whom I hadn’t seen all summer and Lorie Peters – surrounded by Peter Pappas and his pals. Donovan regulars Tina Jeon and Becky’s Fund board member Chris Thompson are always up for a few shots and it seemed as though I had an all out photo shoot with new friend and graphic designer Nickolena Sidler – right there on deck – who had a different pose for every day of the week! I think she was a model in a past life.
Nickolena Sidler © Tony Powell
John Burns and friends © Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
Chris Thompson and Tina Jeon © Tony Powell
Check out all the photos at: www.tonypowell.smugmug.com!
PDS President Marc Radasky, Anna Kimsey, and PDS Vice Chair PJ Hart © Tony Powell
The rooftop of the University Club on 16th street in the District was transformed into an island getaway last night, replete with leis, liquor, and live steel drums. The luau was hosted by the Proctor L. Dougherty Society, a group within the University Club, comprised of members below the age of 35. I caught up with immediate past president of the PDS Society, Timothy Curry, to learn about the history of the society. Good weather prevailed, and the combination of Hawaiian-esque fare, live music, and lively conversation, proved a much needed contrast to the eardrum shattering music, the crammed together like sardines, fast paced, scenes of earlier this week – which I also love!
© Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
The Scene © Tony Powell
The University Club © Tony Powell
Check out all the photos at: www.tonypowell.smugmug.com
Ebong Eka and Rhonda Willingham © Tony Powell
Whenever Erika Gutierrez and Paul Wharton get behind a cause the crowds will appear. Such was the case last night at Donovan House, where a melange of DC life came together to raise money for one of my favorite non-profits, MenzFit. Founded by Rhonda Willingham in 2001, the organization was started with a relatively simple idea: Give a suit and a start to low income men. Over 3,000 clients – laid off workers, ex offenders, homeless, recovering substance abusers, the disabled, public assistance recipients and veterans – have benefited from Willingham’s efforts in Washington, DC and now a second office in Philadelphia. The concept has expanded from simply providing professional interview clothing to offering career development and financial literacy services. The eclectic crowd around the rooftop pool last night included Host Committee members LaVar and Trish Arrington, Ebong Eka, Carlos Gutierrez Jr., Nicole Siobal, Fletcher Gill, Wright Sigmund, and Anna VanMeter. Also spotted in the crowd: Mary Barth, Anna Kimsey, Omar Popal, Will Thomas, Andrew Noyes, Seyhan Duru, Lily Mazahery, Matt Landsberg, Christina Martin, Erwin Gomez, and Mary Amons.
Mary Amons, Paul Wharton, Will Thomas © Tony Powell
Erika Gutierrez and Fletcher Gill © Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
Nicole Siobal and Christina Chan © Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
To view or purchase photos from the fashion show click here. To view or purchase Adult Swim photos click here
SyLene Swimwear Models © Tony Powell
Each Sunday, throughout the summer, the rooftop of the Liaison Hotel on Capitol Hill plays host to Adult Swim, one of the most popular weekly pool parties in DC. I hadn’t been until this past Sunday when I was asked to photograph the Courage Cup fashion show by my friend Andrea Rodgers. The show, which took place during the height of Adult Swim, featured the Washington Wizards’ dancers as models, bling courtesy of Elizabeth Mandros Miller’s Mystique Fine Jewelers, and swimwear designs by syLene.
© Tony Powell
The emcee was none other than our very own arbiter of style, Paul Wharton, who brought his reality show camera crew along for the ride. The hardest part of taking digital pictures of constantly changing subjects, in direct sunlight, is not being able to clearly see the LCD monitor on the back of the camera. Without the ability to accurately gauge exposure I was forced to rely on a combination of experience and luck, and hope for the best. The “runway” shots turned out very well, however, 3/4 ths of the way through the show I spied a better vantage point – far away from the other photographers, and one that would place the sun directly behind me. By the time I moved my gear to the other side of the pool only three models were left to walk but what a difference a new point of view makes – frames 78-112.
© Tony Powell
After breaking down my equipment I had a chance to do a little schmoozing: Model Katie Rost with her boyfriend Xavier Eccleston, new to the scene Little Black Blog creator Quinn Woodward Pu in the pool most of the afternoon with pal Mariam Shahla Assadian, and a long overdue tête-à-tête with Joelle Myers. What a simple pleasure it was to relax for a few minutes on a couch with Joelle, Paul, Katie, Xavier, and M. Nicole Siobal. It’s been a non-stop week of shooting in a dozen different locations. Practice makes better! I look forward to the start of the social season and the parties I shoot for Washington Life Magazine, the work that’s closest to my heart.
Andrea Rodgers, Paul Wharton, and Katie Rost © Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
Mystique Fine Jewelers photo © Tony Powell
Click here to see all the photos!
Nupur Gupta, Christina Martin, and Casey Olson © Tony Powell
Dancer Mallory Terry © Tony Powell
The last time I was at Josephine I had the privilege of covering the pre-Inaugural “Black Door” party for Washington Life Magazine, the event’s exclusive media partner. It was a celebrity-laden evening that I’ll never forget. Last night’s 8th Annual White Nights party, was also, in its own unique way, a night to remember.
Two locations were chosen: first stop-the rooftop of Donovan House and then on to Josephine Lounge until the wee hours. The heavy downpour of rain all afternoon didn’t stop the brave from venturing out for the first leg of the activities. Very rarely do I lend my name to an event, but the cause was a very good one – raising awareness and money to support the efforts of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Having smoked heavily at one point in my life I feel blessed today that it’s no longer the huge burden it once was.
Seyhan Duru and Casey Olson © Tony Powell
White Nights originator Seyhan Duru, one of DC’s most visible DJ’s, told me how he attended the very first “White” party thrown by, then, Puff Daddy, in the Hamptons. Arriving back in DC he appropriated the theme and began a tradition that’s now in its 8th year. Every square inch of real estate was taken up last night by white-clad revelers dancing and drinking the night away. I was introduced to sugar-free Red Bull last night by Seyhan. Where have you been all my life? As a host committee we were able to get 700 to RSVP with, at least, 500 in and out of Josephine alone. I’d only planned to take a few shots but the atmosphere was so charged with energy I couldn’t put down my camera. Click here to see all the photos!
Casey Pauo, Maria Smith, John Dunsford, Tanya Sabel, Austen Shearer © Tony Powell
Check out all the photos at www.tonypowell.smugmug.com
© Tony Powell
I can’t thank model and friend Andrew Paterini enough for inviting me to last night’s Walish Gooshe fashion show at K Street Lounge. Not only did it provide an opportunity for me to practice my craft but it was also a chance to meet a host of new models to work with, from Model Mayhem, a “Facebook-type” website for the fashion industry. Two photo shoots are already lined up. Runway shooting is both challenging and rewarding…it’s a living form of photography, one with many elements that need attention at any given time: lighting, model’s expression, when to trip the shutter, exposure, movement of the clothing, etc. The task at hand last night was made all the more difficult with the discovery that there would be no additional “hot” lighting for the runway show. With no extra lighting, I would have to use flash – once again the 580 EX II flash and Quantum Slim Compact battery pack saved the day. Not ideal, however…using a flash at a fashion show is like playing Stravinsky on a toy piano. It works but there is a loss of integrity and also the odds of getting many usable images decrease. Why? I was surrounded by other photographers also using flash and whenever any two go off at exactly the same time, both flashes cancel each other out. You have to shoot more to get more usable photos. When a show is brightly lit and I can stop motion with a high shutter speed instead of a flash, the number of photos from which to choose greatly increases.
Models with Walish Gooshe © Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
Models © Tony Powell
© Tony Powell
Check out all the photos at www.tonypowell.smugmug.com
Kamari Wheeler, Makeda Saggau-Sackey, Rhiannon Day
I met up with my model muse Rhiannon Day at Spot Lounge in Dupont Circle on Friday night to help Makeda Saggau-Sackey celebrate the second anniversary of her fashion blog The Glamazon Diaries. I’d not been to Spot yet but heard a lot about it since it opened last month so I was looking forward to seeing if it lived up to the hype. Not as large as I thought it would be, Spot did provide, however, a feast for the eyes, with its well thought out details and figurative “blue” decor. The over-sized female torso in the men’s room was an interesting touch. Nightclub denizens Courtney Caldwell and Jaclyn Gower held court at the bar surrounded by a hive of guys all vying for their attention. Paul Wharton was there and then suddenly he wasn’t and finally got a few minutes face time in with Kamari Wheeler. I now realize that I was talking with Stephanie Green, of Green and Glover, without knowing it, and Becky Lee was like a one-woman tornado, dancing her way through the crowded throng. DJ Seyhan Duru kept the pace upbeat with a masterly mix of current and older tunes that provided a drop-cloth for some dirty dancing. The pictures took themselves.
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 http://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
