Into the Light with Hope Hoffman

1. Hope Hoffman was a dancer model out in Maine who I discovered VERY early on on one of those professional networking websites that isn't around anymore.

I was mesmerized by the depth of her portfolio but also how, the people she's worked with were able to incorporate movement into a still (photography) medium.

Lucky for me, a college friend lived out in Maine & made an excuse for a roadtrip. Oh, how I miss those quasi-carefree days where I could arrange such a trip at the drop of a hat! LOL

Prior to leaving, I visited the local library & Xeroxed a slew of inspiration content (this was before "Google Pics" was a thing), drawing heavily from classical sculpture & paintings with a particular focus on Greco-Roman art & it's later Neoclassical periods. Not sure if it visually translates with this specific one but whatever.

This is a scan of a physical print since I was shooting film at the time.

I vividly remember laying on my back shooting up, struggling to get her in focus & adjust my camera settings. I look back on it now & wonder how the heck was my body withstood that kind of physical punishment.

The things we do to create.

Maybe its because of the where, when, how, & my mindset at the time of when I got the shot but it remains one OF my favorite pieces ever taken.

I miss shooting film but do NOT miss the lag in developing, nor the pretty penny that was needed to get it all done. 

Unfortunately, its been so long I have no idea what Hope is doing these days. Last I heard she was teaching children how to fiddle out in the Midwest somewheres.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Subtle Smile with Samantha

1. This shot with Samantha was another that almost didn't happen.

We were supposed to have a formal photoshoot but I got a call (back when people did that sorta thing) that she was going to be late. She was finishing a paper or trying to, for the last 4 hours.

As annoying as it was, I've been there. 

By the time she was able to turn it in AND arrive, I felt like the good photo'ing light had been lost.

Bought her a lunch to try & brighten her spirits, til I saw something right then & there at the Barnes & Nobles cafe. Pulled out my camera & started clicking away. 

Not remotely the photoshoot I was planning on but when the moment strikes, you just have to go with it.

Its not ever the tools the photographer uses but HOW they use what's available.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If any particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Laundromat Diaries with Brittany

 1. The "Laundromat Diaries" was a VERY early series entailing sticking models inside a giant laundromat dryer & seeing what happens & what kooky things I could be got.

Brittany climbed into the dryer & played around for a bit. I like recession & repeating shapes so I made sure to include the neighbor dryers into the frame. 

This also was an early submission piece back when I attended SUNY Potsdam.

I stopped doing this series a few years later after a heated exchange with another customer who wanted to get his laundry done on a hot Summer's day. Because God forbid he use any of the other 10 empty dryers but that's neither here, nor there. Nothing physical happened but was enough for me to move on to other "stupid" ideas.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Skeptically Passive Kira

 1. The model is Kira & was taken back during my college days. 

She worked in the Student Union manning a table looking for volunteers for something. I chatted her up, gave her my schpeel, & said I'd very much like to work with her.

In a voice that was one-parts skepticism & another part flattery, "You doooooooo?"

I said yes & gave her my contact info & where she could see my work. Also threw in that she's welcome to bring a friend if it'd make her more comfortable.

I left thinking I'd never hear from her again. Sometimes women will agree to do things to get out of an uncomfortable situation and was pleasantly surprised she reached out & set up a shoot date. I knew a spot in the next town on thebanks for a wooded creek & milked that as best I could. 

It took a little bit for her to get comfortable but once that happened, she did just fine.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Black Prom Dress Deborah

1. There's an interesting story behind this shoot. 

When Deborah arrived, she laid out her wardrobe where I instantly took a liking to her big poofy prom dress. Explaining that it as so new, she hadn't had time to get the darn thing tailored. 

I'm like, "I do have safety wire & we can synch you up that way." Yes, it would be a one outfit type shoot but whatever."

To my surprise, she's as nutty as I was & agreed. So I synched her up. Did some stuff on the Boston fire escape, did some stuff riding-but-not-riding a moped, playing hop-scotch (all not seen here btw), & typical-me windowlit stuff.

Below is the remastered version of her playing in the apartment windowsill, having a grand ol' time.

"Remastered" because I edited it many years later. My know-how had grown considerably since we originally shot.

& yes to get her out, I had to use my handy wire cutters.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Wooded Melissa

 1. Melissa is a college friend & we shared many an Art History class together.

This was taken years after our respective graduations along a trail in my hometown during one of her periodic forays back to NY state.

The dress she's wearing was originally intended for use at a mutual friend's wedding but I got fired when the bride freaked out thinking I was blowing her off when instead I had no reception due to living near mountains. Bummer but at least that firing saves me from the drudgery of editing.

*shrugs shoulders*

That might have been one of the last times I ever shot a wedding. Not for the bridezillas but more because all the pressure I put on myself. I'd quote the editing turn-around 3-6 months but I'd damn near kill myself getting it out within 45 days WHILE ALSO having a full-time dayjob. 

I just don't like having stuff hanging over my head.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Sooty Handed Brooke

 1. The shot below was produced by sheer dumb luck.

The model is Brooke, an interpid teenager, who popped my radar back during the MySpace days (mid 2000's?). 

I approached her about simply taking portraits, pitched my idea, & was relieved to have her talk to her mom about it. I had no idea she was a teenager but encouraged her to give my info to her mom & invited her to come along.

I'm always a little nervous when working with minors because though they may be kosher with my age-appropriate pics, it can be a complete crapshoot whether the parent will see it that way.

Regardless talked to her mom  directly & everything seemed to be on the level.

The overall premise was to shoot inside a burned out hotel, to contrast the prettiness of the model against the dirt & grime of the old fire damage. Before anyone asks, it was in a semi-rural area & there is no shortage of abandoned building where the residents were there one day & literally up & left the next.

As we're shooting, Brooke's hands get all sooty from touching the burnt wood & just randomly starts wiping them on her arms & face.

I chuckle & am like, "I'm going with it" & snapped away.

Stuff like that you just can't plan no matter how hard you try. Those manufactured moments never have the same effect as when they're spontaneous.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Imperfect Audrey

 1. We all change. I'd LIKE to think its human nature. Yet the pic of Audrey often get criticized for being terrible.

So what's wrong with it? 

If you'd believe some people, just about everything. 

Though the subject matter is pleasant to look at - the lighting is poor, my shooting angle is wrong, the high film speed (to use an archaic term) creates unnecessary grain, there's an unsightly lenses flare going on, I haven't presented the model in a flattering angle, her pose is wrong, etc, etc. 

And if I'm being honest, they're right!

Why do I bring all this up?

This piece is another pivot point in my work where I no longer completely care. Those very imperfections add to an interesting mood specifically when I & others see a sultry yet mysterious vibe. 

From my experience, one can learn all the technical things. But if a person doesn't have that spark to make whatever they're creating interesting or the capacity to convey whatever it is you're trying to convey, there's only so much stale technical mastery can do salvage the situation.

Will this cause me to lose clients or turn off people off? Maybe. But would they have hired me to begin with? Probably not. 

Everyone has an opinion on everything these days EVEN WHEN they've prefaced it with "Well, I'm not an expert but-" & then goes on to pontificate for the next 4 minutes why their NON-expert opinion should matter. Great job on undermining your own crediblity.

Experts who've dedicated their professional lives in their chosen field are dismissed and rank amateurs are lauded for opinions on topics THEY THEMSELVES have said they know nothing a about.

I guess that's simply the age we're living in.

2. Currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Jillian Durgin Passing & Thoughts

1. This post is bitter-sweet & I've been struggling to articulate my thoughts into words. However I'm going to try. 

It is with a heavy heart that Jillian Durgin, sometimes freelance model & founder of Ritual Fashion,  was in a tragic car accident outside her home in Rome, GA on 26 Aug, 2023. 

When I first heard the news, I didn't believe it. I knew she was going throughthe usual BS most public personalities have with online a**holes so I called her number & left a voicemail asking her to call me, hoping what I'd heard was a different Jillian. Came inside, Googled her name while I waited, & was devastated to read the first entry was an outside news report of the car accident. This was later confirmed when her family & company's Instagram spread the same news.

The news link is here:  https://www.wrganews.com/2023/08/26/rome-man-killed-in-chattooga-county-wreck/

 Here is also a link the the remembrance page her family setup: https://www.masonfuneralhome.com/obituary/MsJillian-Durgin

Jillian came onto my radar back during the LiveJournal blogging days (2005'ish?) when she'd post both her modeling pictures as well as her unique fashion pieces & was captivated by her command presence.

We parted ways as so often happens in the age of social media til I found her again on yet another platform. Posted a throwaway comment not thinking anything would come of it since we were literally on opposite sides of the country, only to find out a couple weeks later she was trekking to the area. 

 "Do you still want to work together?" she basically asked. I'm like (eff) yeah! Figured out a place & time & went with it. 

 

Shoot day was a complete cluster(eff). It had more to do with it being literally the 1st nice day AFTER New York City loosened their Covid restrictions. Us Upstaters were already accustomed to the relatively loose restriction because of our rural culture but the location being an hour or two outside of NYC meant they all flocked to the lower Hudson Valley at the same time. 

Tried doing Plan A but that failed because of people. Then B, C, D, E & F. Please understand it was originally supposed to be a "nudes in nature" shoot but there was a crazy amount of people around, I'm not the type of photographer to push a model do something that "I" am uncomfortable having them do. The situation just sucked.

I was going to call it quits, more disgusted at the circumstance we found ourselves in until she pulls out one of her fashion pieces out of a giant duffel bag that probably about half her 3/4 o her bodyweight. In the back of my mind, I'm like "May as well!" LOL

 Migrated to a yet another part of the park again, to many people. So we continued to do clothed work. Tried the "nudes in nature" again & no joy. Taking that it was a sign from the Art Gods to go where the art flow is taking you, we continued to do more clothed stuff until the good light finally dictated we call it. 

We have since produced more interesting stuff but I here are a couple that fondly bring me back to that day.

I always appreciated Jillian's patience, creative drive, poise, as well as our long conversations. I will especially miss her kindness towards others & her drive to make this world a better place. 

 Jillian Ann Durgin, you will be missed.

2. Currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.  

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

One True Talent in Life Gabrielle

1. Gabrielle was a college Art History classmate of mine. 

With not a lot of persuasion, I coaxed her into a photoshoot. Nothing big or elaborate, just two creative individuals seeing where that creativity takes us.

Somewhere along the way she oh-so nonchalantly says, "Making goofy faces is my one true talent in life." So I of course asked her to prove it. 

This was the result:

I really appreciate people who can relax & poke fun at themselves. Its also a schtick I have Gabrielle do whenever we shoot to which she's been ever gracious to indulge.

I also distinctly remember it being an ultra cold day in March & having a 20-page term paper due the next day that had yet to be started. Priorities, right? I guess that's what A LOT of coffee is for.

2.  I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Avid Reader Jenna Q

1. The following recent shot reminds me a quaint incident I had with my first shoot with Jenna Q.

It was her 2nd semester at the local college & replied to an online ad I posted for a project that I either soon petered out or wasn't in the direction I was hoping for.

But whatever.

We kicked around other ideas & among those many emails she mentioned that she was an avid reader, with her favorite author being Kurt Vonnegut. So much so, she got "And So It Goes" tattooed along her ribcage. For those not in the know, its a frequent refrain in one of his most famous works.

Vonnegut is one of the most strangest authors I've ever encountered not because of his subject matter but his writing style. 

What do I mean? 

If you read multiple things from the same author, their flow & cadence is similar enough where you can kinda tell its from them. Its akin to a painter's brush stroke or a photographer's compositional eye or editing style. To the keen eye, you can tell its from the same creator.

However in the 5 of books I've read from Vonnegut; Slaughterhouse Five, Cat's Cradle, Breakfast of Champions, Player's Piano, & Timequake; that isn't REMOTELY the case. S5 is different from Cat, Cat is different from Breakfast & so on while no of those 5 have remotely the same flow read as any of the others.

But I digress.

In our preshoot conversations, Jenna mentioned that "Slaughterhouse Five" was her favorite book & she didn't have her own copy & was bummed  because if she wanted to reread it, she'd have to borrow it from the local library.

As a fellow book lover, I vowed to put a stop to that problem & purchased said copy.

At the end of our shoot, I gave & she opened the wrapped present & squealed with delight & jumped up & down with excitement. Seeing how happy the gift made her, brought a slight smile to my stoic face.

I don't care what people say, being nice matters. Kindness especially when there's nothing to be gained by the act, is a strength not a weakness.

I don't remotely pretend that I'm good at living up to those lofty ideals but it happened that day with Jenna.

2. Currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Riding the Pony with Faye Brandt

1. The shot below is titled, Riding the Pony & the framed print version was submitted to a gallery showing a number of years ago. I really don't name many of my pictures unless there submitted in a real world showing of some sorts. Nothing against it, I just shoot A LOT! And thinking up names for all the stuff I produce & edit gets exhausting!

This shot was also from my 1st shoot with Faye Brandt. 

She's a native New York City resident & loved the urban life whether it be walking her neighborhood streets at night, going to raves & clubs, & enjoying its hustle & bustle among other things. This aspect of her personality is where this ensemble came from.

The wooden pony is another one of those random finds in a former textile mill environment. Please don't ask me how or why it was there because I have no clue. 

Afterwards I heard noises on the other end of the mill floor. I saw multiple figures & told Faye & her friend to grab their things because we need to leave immediately. We did.

We h almost made it to our exit when we were spotted. "Hey, stop," the voice yelled. I whispered to ignore it & to walk faster hoping to get off the property in time. Again, "hey, stop" this time with him running over to us. There was no escaping. 

The gentleman reamed us out about trespassing. "With no signs, how were we supposed to know," I thought to myself but thought it wise to not say nothing. Meanwhile I apologize profusely & told him we were just art students taking pictures. He continued lecturing us almost from a script in how much he was losing with broken equipment & blah blah blah.

"I'm sorry, sir. We're artists & just wanted to take pictures for class" while holding up my camera & shaking it to call attention to my claim. 

He pauses for an agonizingly long time. "Oh! I thought you were vandals" & then goes on about the troubles he's had finding cigarettes & graffiti & broken industrial cleanup equipment & replaceing assorted damage from likely the bored neighborhood teens.

And as if this situation couldn't get more bizarre, he then introduces us to his two sons, Odin & Loki. Yes, you read that right, Odin & Loki. Why he brought his barely 2 10-year old boys into a derelict industrial site with broken glass & wood shards everywhere, I haven't a clue but considering our position felt it best NOT to ask. Nor as a mythology geek, did I ask about how Odin is the adopted father to Loki, all happening before the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But again, I digress.

The gentleman lets us leave after some small talk, where once we were clear the 3 of us breathed a sigh of relief.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

3. Also for those not in the know, I've started a Patreon. The link is here.

Its a subscription based site where I offer considerably more of my work for a small monthly fee. Pictures obviously on the lowest tier while getting behind-the-scenes shots & videos to an interview series to anecdotes to blogs to hard copies prints, the higher the tier levels.

It may seem like much but every subscriber contributing helps fund more art creation for me to bring to the viewing masses.

Cammo Loving Charissa

 1. This shot is Charissa. She's a cammo lover which is probably helped that she was married to an active duty Marine.

This little piece was shot locally on her family's property during the dead of summer. If I'm remembering right, these were shot as extra "motivation" for her husband as he was off on a 3-month training exercise on the opposite side of the country.

This was also where I was introduced as"(her photographer). Such titles make me cringe but have since come around that there are certainly worse titles people can give. LOL

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Lingerie Crash with Nicole

Nicole is a sister of a frequent collaborator & thus was familiar with my work. She reached out & wanted private pictures produced to give to her fiancee, a surprise Valentine's Day gift if you will.

We bounced ideas & what I was capable of, challenging because I usually take a hiatus during the winter time being that I have no studio & indoors lighting really doesn't play to my strengths.

However a photographer colleague knew of my plight & offered his place to shoot. I'm a fan of natural light, so I used his dining room that had a large window. 

During the runup to our planned shoot, we had a Nor'easter. Basically a large snowstorm x50 - large amounts of snow falling quicking + wind, making the driving conditions treacherous at best. The Nor'easter wasn't really a surprise because that's all the local newscast reports for days on end.

I called Nicole the night before & asked to be contacted PRIOR to leaving. She assured me she would, only to get a text the morning ofter that she was well on her way.

I'm grumbling because, she's local which means now I have to make my own drive to my photographer colleague's house for the shoot. The snow had mostly stopped but the roads weren't really clear, a trek I was NOT looking forward to making.

The journey was slow going for obvious reasons. The road conditions were complete sh*t & I'm just trying to be careful as I can to make it there in one piece. A  normal 1-hour trip was coming close to 3 hours.

I wasn't even 5 miles from my destination when I slid through an intersection & T-boned another driver. I was clearly at fault but am super thankful no one was hurt.

Called the photographer colleague for a rescue & was brought to the house. The girls would tell of their headache journey where their car did a 360 on the interstate yet thankfully were only the ones on the road.

After we shot & they brought me home. Nicole had extended family in the area & made it an excuse to visit them & we thus parted ways.

Nicole's original stipulation was that I was NOT to post her pictures anywhere online. However I approached her many years later with the intent to tell the story behind the shot you see here & she just laughed & was like "go for it," so I have. I guess time & having a couple of kids with said loving fiancee (now husband) evaporated whatever concerns she had at the time. Or at least that's my guess.

There were some serious ramifcation of totaling my car but think I'll save that for another time.

We did a lot of great stuff during this shoot but the above is probably my favorite. I'm liking the light & shadow play, complimented by her athletic physique (though 'm not sure it translated in this picture) yet contrasted by her lacey lingerie outfit.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Breast Cancer Awareness with Ann & Ashley

1. What y'all are seeing is a Breast Cancer Awareness shoot w/ Ashley & her mom Ann. The original intent was to make it as simple as I could get - a black & white rendering with only the pink ribbon (or the tatoo) being the only thing in color. 

I put out a casting on one of the many social media sites I used at the time & Ashley responded & her mom, a Breast Cancer survivor tagged along. I did a number of shots of Ashley & asked if her mom if wanted to participate herself despite being 2 weeks post-op from a double mastectomy. She was all for it.

We were both in the moment. Anne doing her thing, me focusing on camera setting & composition & simply trying to stay focused (no pun intended). At one point, she was about to showcase her still visible sutures & me about to shoot her when her daughter put a stop to it. It was probably for the best.

With the exception of documenting Ground Zero less than 2 months after the attacks, this remains one of my most emotionally grueling shoots. 

Hope you enjoy.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Inside Old Industrial Complexes with Meredith

 1. This shot with Meredith who was a standardized test-prep instructor by day & art model by night. I also remember her having some sort of a dance background, what specifically, I no longer remember.

This shot was taken at an industrial complex that used to (legally) print foreign currency that has since been converted into an artist's community and was taken many moons ago down in NYC at the end of July on one of the hottest days of the year.

Shooting in nontraditional spaces such as these probably began my proverbial love affair with the urban/rural exploration genre.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Anonymous Couch Bum

1. During my undergrad senior year, I chose for my photography series artistic nudes.

I had previous worked with a female classmate of mine in a PG-capacity & tried to recruit her but no joy. However in this failure, she pointed a couple of her sorority sisters in my direction. & we were off to the races.

This here is, well, an anonymous raven-haired girl. I don't think she'd care if she's identified but am respecting her wishes given at the time.

We shot at my sister's place who also lived in the area. She hated the entire series because, I guess, all she could see was the gaudy orange couch. Yet when I presented them for critique, it was met with overwhelming approval. Familiarity of that couch breeds contempt, I guess.

Later that year, the model put me on the phone with her mother where I was met w/ a flurry of compliments. "I've never seen my daughter look so beautiful in such a tasteful manner.". Getting the mom-seal-of-approval definitely ranks up there in my career highlights reel.

There's more to this story but think I'll save it for another time.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Playfully Inviting with Lisa

1. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

2. This is Lisa.

When this was shot, she was coming off of a not-so-great relationship & wanted to do something fun & suggested as part of her own psychological liberation of doing a boudoir type shot. I was invited to her house & saw this lovely overcast sunlight shining through her bedroom window & knew I had to use it.

I like this shot because it suggestively reveal yet remains playfully & am happy that the model herself loved what was produced.

Spontaneous Canines and Stacy

 1. I don't think this shot is all that remarkable but getting there is interesting.

This was an early foree into studio shooting. Essentially an attempt to still work with people during the dead of winter.

Stacy is one of my oldest art model collaborators.

We were at a point in the shoot where it kinda had run its course & both were struggling to come up with new ideas. Stacy sighs & says aloud, "I'm struggling to come up with new ideas in keeping things fresh."

As if on cue, the dog bursts through the studio door (with their human in tow), hops onto the couch, followed by a delightful squeal from Stacy. 

If this were a Hollywood film, the scene would have been rejected for being to contrived yet as sure as I'm writing this, it honest to god truth.

I've learned since then whenever an animal interrupts a shoot, don't interrupt fate & just go with what the Gods just gave you.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Theater Portrait with Ciara

1. This is Ciara. I forget how or who found who but we were doing this session at her college.

Most of my shoots have a pretty loose structure. Enough to get something done but not so bound where we're not able to toss the book out the window if a situation presents itself.

We were wandering around the performing arts center where the theater hall itself gave me an idea. I lugged out my photo-strobe light (a piece of equipment I loathe using simply because it changes my shooting style) & set it up & shot.

Afterwards Ciara expressed how happy she was because "As a theater major, it never occurred to shoot in the very theater I've loved." If my model friends are happy, so am I.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.