A well deserved 5 star review, and some of the best money I've spent for my career. Everyone deserves a great photo of themselves to remind them of what's inside and that everyone is beautiful, and with Sean I have those great photos for life.
I had selected Sean on the basis of the Yelp reviews, the videos on his site where he walks people through his philosophy and process, and of course his photos. Like most introverts, the idea of getting a photo is a little daunting - I have a few features I'd like to Photoshop into oblivion, but I knew I needed something modern to take me to the next level in my personal branding. Thanks to Sean's work, I've definitely leveled up, and how!
Sean's studio is a professional set up with all the tools he needs to create a great photo - so both traditional backdrops but also natural sunlight, which as you'll see in a second, really helped seal the deal on my photos. First off, a word on Jenni, one of the makeup artists Sean works with. I know people may feel like makeup is something they can do themselves, but I know that a trained artist in any field is someone you trust to do their job since they have the knowledge and tools to make something even better. Jenni's skills were perfect for what I needed, and she created makeup and hair that definitely highlighted what I would look like on film and balanced professional and edgy. As well as being a consummate professional, she was a joy and fun person to work with.
Sean - well, I love watching an artist at work, and he truly is one. Photography - and good photography - is something we all take for granted in an age of smart phones and Instagrams, and I found that Sean took so many great photos of me during the session I now have to figure out what to select, which is a great problem to have. He took great care to find out what kind of photo philosophy I was aiming for, what lighting and setup for poses would work, and even helping to advise on outfits and steam cleaning my jacket. His creative direction on what kind of poses and facial expressions and where to look really helped capture my personality, and made what could be a basic 'corporate head shot' into something more interesting and fun to look at. He gave me the artistic direction to set up great shots, and really captured what I wanted - professional, creative, human looking photos. I look at the photos and see that he's captured my personality on film, and as a person being photographed, you can't ask for much more than that. I especially love the lighting that he created, which feels contemporary and immediate - and very personable, which makes for a distinctive and beautiful photo very much in a classic Renaissance vein, but still very New York, 2014. He's like Caravaggio with a lens, as you can see from my head shot in my profile photo. I paid for my photos on Square, and had them on my hard drive within the day, so super efficient. I'm sure he also has mad Photoshop skills, but honestly I don't think I'll ever need any retouching with the photos because they've captured who I am, and I don't need to change them.
As much as I love the 100+ photos he ended up capturing, those photos came about because he put me at ease, and his direction and calmness quickly destroyed any hesitations I had about having a photo taken. He conveyed that a great photo is about the personality that's in a person's eyes, and having a photographer that captures those eyes and relaxes you is a joy. I felt so relaxed working with this team, I have no hesitation on recommending them to anyone who needs a photo, and he's even got me thinking about how fun a more editorial type 'fun' shoot would be. If someone can work an introvert and get that introvert excited about getting their photo taken in the future, well, that should tell you how much fun I had right there and sell you on Sean's services.
Thanks Sean and Jenni - you were a treat to work with, and I'm so happy at the results. You rocked it, guys :) read more