IT ALL STARTED HERE …

My first big break was shooting the fading shot, as they called it, on America’s Next Top Model. Remember at the end of the show they’d show a composite image of all the contestants and then there’d be a WOOOSH! and the model who was kicked off was fade from the shot? That was the fading shot. I was a PA on the photo shoot days doing coffee runs and lugging stuff around, but that evolved into coordinating between the glam room and the photo set to help it run on time. It was exhilarating! I loved our photo team, made life-long friendships and learned sooooo much. There was once a runway scene walking on water at night and they needed someone to shoot backup in case they didn’t get the shot. So they asked me! And for a split second I was on screen (and even a couple of my backup images, too). But the big moment was when the photo shoot producer who usually shot the fading shots wasn’t going to be able to make it back to LA from NYC so he asked me to shoot it. I was gobsmacked to get the opportunity. And so nervous! But damn, I had amazing support from our crew. And as soon as I sat down with the Hasselblad on that apple box in front of the elinchrome and under the beauty dish, I felt at home. I think that was the first time I realized I had something unique to offer and found my voice. There weren’t many women fashion photographers at the time and some people thought female models couldn’t look sexy for a female photographer. I disagreed! Firstly, why did everything need to look sexy all the time, and secondly, wouldn’t a female model working in front of the camera feel more comfortable with another woman behind the camera? I thought so. And that’s what happened. I could see how each of the girls were feeling and I would work with them to feel confident and let their light shine. I’m a girl’s-girl, fiercely protective and a cheerleading feminist. The biggest compliment was hearing Tyra’s feedback. I wasn’t there when she was at the edit but they told me later that she could see a difference in the images this time and she said “who shot these?” and then again “who shot these, again?” She loved them. And it was an aha moment that has helped keep me going — a woman (Tyra) seeing a woman (me) see a woman (models). And it showed in the photos.

The split-second I was on-screen for the water walkway shoot.