And Now Tomorrow...

The future's so bright! A few weeks ago, I was invited by my photographer friend Kawai Matthews to be a special industry guest at a class for teens interested in fashion photography. Boy, did I feel honored. When I arrived at the Julia Dean Photo Workshop, eleven girls were sitting around a table listening intently to every word Kawai was saying. Would they be paying as close attention to my advice? The answer, yes.

My intro to the group included a little Q & A session so they could get to know me. The girls asked what designers I've worked for and what are some of the coolest shoots I've done. Then... a quick show-and-tell of my portfolio. I wanted to show them the importance of creating a solid body of work and the difference between commercial and fashion photography.

Next, Kawai gave the ladies a group project and instructed them to create an inspiration board much like the pros do to prepare for a photo shoot. It was cool to see what each team was putting together. They all had their own unique personalities and creative processes. I nicknamed the groups Team Vogue, Team Nylon, Team Seventeen, and Team W.

What I liked about this workshop is that it was super hands-on. Kawai wanted to make sure these future photographers know not just how to take a great picture, but how to use their equipment. She had them set up their own studio complete with lighting and backdrop. These girls were putting in work!

It was finally time for the students to pick up a camera and start shooting. My job was to tell them exactly what I look for in a good photographer. I like photographers that let me know what they want but allow me to express myself too. You eventually fall into a rhythm and... voila. So the students and I practiced this one by one with each having their own time behind the camera. Most of the time the girls wanted fun, carefree poses to match my bright orange bellbottoms.

We created together and we laughed together. It was so perfect. I hope these young photographers were inspired by me as much I'm inspired by them. If this is the future of fashion, then sunny days are definitely in the forecast. Good luck, ladies.

P.S. - Thanks again to Kawai Matthews and the Julia Dean Photo Workshops for the opportunity and the photos. You rock!