Alone in 1000 Square Feet, Update

Alone in 1000 Square Feet is an ongoing project, adding one or more new photos every week.

For those new to this series, there are only two guidelines: only I can be in the photo and they must all be captured in my apartment, common area or basement. Using these restrictions I’ve created six characters:

The Turbulent Mob Associate

The Clever Spy

The Distressed Burglar

The Afflicted War Veteran

The Flamboyant Detective

The Brilliant Psychopath

So far there’s been overlap through conflict, time and chance… but everybody’s still alive…

L’Meese then and now

I’ve already had a stellar photo career with many great experiences. Along the way I’ve worked with some wonderful people. On occasion I’m lucky enough to work with the same subject at yearly intervals. Such is the case with L’Meese.

I first worked with her in 2008 when I exhibited in a two-person show with renowned fashion photographer Stan Malinowski in Chicago. From Fantasy to Fashion drew an incredible crowd of collectors and I was proud to show my interpretation of fashion photography with Stan’s photographs for such publications as Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and Playboy. From Janice Dickinson to Iman in Valentino’s atelier, it was a smashing success. More of Stan’s work can be seen here.

Catalog page from the exhibit. Images by Stan Malinowski.

Catalog page from the exhibit. Images by Nick Azzaro.

From left, Stan Malinowski taking a picture while I look on with Victor Skrebneski and his colleague. Photo by Art Azzaro.

I showed new work, inspired by Stan’s big budget shoots of yesteryear. L’Meese’s portrait below was included in the exhibit.

I recently had the chance to work with L’Meese again, this time in Ann Arbor. The only thing that’s changed is her elevated level of experience.

Nia Sees the Light.

Nia is a model that’s well ahead of the game and a fabulous person to work with. That’s what allowed us to be more creative during our shoot. Not only did she own the in studio strobe sets with her many looks, but she handled daylight and lengthy fluorescent bulb exposures with the same style and grace.

Below are two looks from two different strobe sets:

In the sun, she shines:

Even a one second exposure. No problem:

Thank you, Nia.

 

 

 

Studio Lighting Tips

There are two studio lighting setups that tend to appear in ads today. By no means are they new, but they’ll never go out of style. Both place the model on a white background, but the first only uses one light, causing a shadow and making the background go gray, while the other uses three lights creating an “infinity” look. Below are diagrams and samples of how to achieve each.

Simple, one light setup.

The result.

Three light setup, removing the environment.

The result.

Acting the Part

You may have seen some of these photos of N on our Facebook page, but we had to share them here too. He has a knack for creating gritty movie scenes and people love it. Thing is, we’re still mostly getting requests for traditional portrait. So our question to you is, are you game for some dramatic fun?

We’re booking holiday sessions right now. A la carte packages include up to four “costume” changes, styling, lighting and multiple locations plus all rights and usage. It would be the ultimate present. Contact us for all the details.