Adriana Casey Photography

I love to learn!  If I could spend the rest of my life in school, I would be happy.  When it comes to photography, I really feel like you can never stop appreciating new techniques, ways of doing things, challenging what you already know, trying new things. I feel lucky to live in New York, a city that draws talented photographers to come and to teach, and I take advantage of this by attending as many workshops as I can.

I recently took a workshop at Calumet Photographic called “Face to Face: The Business of Beauty and Beyond” with Matthew Jordan Smith.  He shared brilliant techniques for portrait photography, that are as applicable for beauty and celebrities, as for newborns and maternity.  A few days before the workshop, I was contemplating not going, because I have so much to do.. that would take an entire day.. and on and on. I am so glad that I did not talk myself out of it!  It was nice to get out from behind my computer, to learn new techniques, and to incorporate them into what I do everyday.

Matthew Jordan Smith has shot portraits for clients such as Oprah Winfrey and Tyra Banks, yet what most appealed to me about attending his workshop was to understand how he creates an environment where the subjects instantly feel comfortable in showing their true selves. And as a result, he creates beautiful and clean images that stand apart. This has been a subject of great importance to me, as while I appreciate and love to do on-location portraits, which is typically referred to as “lifestyle Photography”,  I also love to create portraits with studio lighting.  I find that it allows for a beautiful and clean look that can not be achieved elsewhere. However, I feel that clients hear the word “studio”, and think of the old fashioned custom of bringing your family to the portrait studio at the mall for that posed shot.  While that is what you can typically expect there, Matthew helped to affirm the fact that a studio lighting session with a good photographer sets the stage, and lets real moments happen. We create a certain atmosphere – a mood, a energy, but we do not pose. We capture the moment.

The confirmation of this fact from a photographer such as Matthew Jordan Smith made the day worth it for me, but in addition to that, Matthew shared some other great tips.  Whether you are a professional photographer or enjoy photography as a hobby, I am sure that you will appreciate his advice.  In my next post I will share some of those tips with you.  In the meantime, below are some images I captured that day.

Make-up artist- Aeriel Payne