It started with a chance encounter at the airport. Michelle, my MUA, her husband kept crossing paths with Risa and every time he saw her he thought the same thing — she should be in front of a camera. He finally said it out loud and told her to call his wife if she was interested. She did.
Risa had modeled before, years back, but had stepped away from it. Michelle did her hair and makeup, my stylist John came in, and we set up in the studio and just let it unfold. From the moment she sat down on that stool it was clear this was someone who never really lost it. The posing, the awareness, the way she worked the light, it all came back like muscle memory.
I love shooting on location. But there is something about a studio and the simplicity of what you can build in it that occasionally produces magic. A white shirt, ripped jeans, a stool, a grid frame casting shadows on the wall behind her. That's all this was. It was enough.
⚙️ Tech Notes
Fujifilm X-T3. Guam. Studio, available light with a grid frame creating shadow patterns on the background wall. No flash. Converted to black and white in post.
