finding inspiration in Annie Leibovitz and john singer sargent

This stunning portrait of Lady Agnew of Lochnaw by John Singer Sargent (left) was hanging at the Frick in NYC recently, on loan from its home in Scotland. It’s a massive painting, almost as tall as me, and SO beautiful. The image stayed in my subconscious, as months later while shooting a senior portrait session, I put Cameron in this pose (right). It wasn’t until I was home culling through her images did I notice the how similar the poses were.

In my blog entry from a few years back I wrote about how all creative work builds on what came before. These portraits side by side show how true this this!

As a Portrait Photographer, I think it’s important to try new things, and learn from the masters.  At a recent photoshoot, I put the eight hosts of a high school graduation party in a classic Annie Leibovitz group pose (top/hers), which resulted in a fun photo and a lasting memory of their friendship (bottom/mine).

Annie Lennox shot by Annie Leibovitz, such power. I used the pose out on Yulady, a beautiful yogi I wrote about in February.

Jessica Chastain by Annie Leibovitz, inspired by the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt.

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about my creative process. Finding inspiration from others helps me grow as an artist, and is a lot of fun!