classical portrait photography

An Olive-Wood Cross and the Studio Skull

An Olive-Wood Cross and the Studio Skull

Most of the best things that happen in this trade arrive sideways, by way of a handshake you weren't expecting. This was one of those.

I had been asked to speak at Samy's, here in Los Angeles, on the subject of Godox lighting — a perfectly cheerful evening of light shaping and the usual debates about modifiers, where two photographers can disagree for an hour and both be right. When it was over a gentleman came up, introduced himself, and put a card in my hand. Edward Goldstein. He mentioned, almost in passing, that he did some modelling.

Read More

Back in New York: 25–31 May

Back in New York: 25–31 May

I'll be back at the Midtown Manhattan studio from Monday 25th to Sunday 31st May 2026 — seven days, one room, a short list of sittings, and what I suspect will be a faintly absurd amount of coffee. If you've been meaning to book a portrait, refresh a headshot, or sit down for a one-to-one workshop, this is the window.

Read More

Recreating Caravaggio: Photography Workshop Saturday 23rd May 2026 Los Angeles

Recreating Caravaggio: Photography Workshop Saturday 23rd May 2026 Los Angeles

On Saturday 23rd May 2026, from 10am to 3pm, I'll be running a one-day portrait workshop at the Downtown LA studio on Recreating Caravaggio. Five hours, two lights, professional models, and a small enough room that nobody can hide at the back. Tickets are $450, places are limited, and the date is closer than the calendar makes it look.

Read More

The Returning Sitter: Alex Blake

The Returning Sitter: Alex Blake

Alex Blake came back to the studio recently for an update to his headshots — the kind of return visit that punctuates most working actors' careers every two or three years, when the credits have grown, the face has settled into something a little more itself, and the agent has started asking gently whether the current image is still doing the work it ought to. Alex's was, mostly. But "mostly" is the word that brings actors back.

Read More

Five Years Late: Portraits of Babs Olusanmokun

Five Years Late: Portraits of Babs Olusanmokun

Portraits of Babs Olusanmokun, London | Rory Lewis

Portrait photographer Rory Lewis on capturing actor Babs Olusanmokun (Dune, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds) at his London studio — five years in the making.

Read More