Model from Maui Ziggy

When I meet a model, I go browsing through their portfolio and see what they’ve been subjected to. If they’ve got great, muscular features, chances are they have shirtless beach shots or sporty images. If they have exotic looks, they are dressed in exotic clothes and dropped in an exotic background, playing the part they were dealt.

I believe the only way we can grow and develop is to challenge others, as well as ourselves. That’s why I like to go the polar opposite of what a model’s meant to play. Muscular men are dressed into fitted suits; Delicate females portray strong female roles. This challenges both the model and me to diversify ourselves and grow from the opportunity.

Creating a theme
When I first saw model Ziggy, I saw the potential to do something really different. As you may know by now, I have an affinity for bygone eras, so I immediately knew I wanted to do something in the 40′s or 50′s. I racked my brain trying to figure out what I could do with what I had.

I went through my costume closet and paired different hats with suits from the 50′s, different ties — I walked around the house with a sea captain’s hat on my head, hoping I would get an idea for a theme if I stared at it in the mirror long enough.

In a flash of inspiration, I recalled a construction hat I had and that led me to think about a construction theme.

too cliche, I thought to myself. So, I modified the theme to be more specific. It was the industrial age, so I liked the idea of a factory worker who was building bombs for the war or just working with steel beams. The idea was perfect!

A day after, the perfect location came in the form of exposed plumbing alongside a community recreation center. Walking by, you’d never guess that these boring, rusted pipes could stand in as a backdrop for a vintage photo shoot.

This set of photos will always be one of my proudest accomplishments simply for the fact that I was able to recreate a time period only two blocks away from my house, with very little time and a lot of creativity.

One of the appeals the 1950′s holds for me is the way men were. Men were men. They played sports, yet they were gentlemen. Nowadays, a guy can’t slick his hair back and wear a suit without someone questioning his sanity or branding him a metrosexual (a trendy term I will hate forever).

The above shot is my tribute to the men of the mid-century. It was shot in the most unexpected of places: Kapiolani Park at the end of Waikiki. A very modern location, but given the right direction and composition, can transport you to a different time period.

It’s funny how many times I had to take this picture to get one that I was satisfied with. First off, handheld portraits with a heavy DSLR like the Canon Rebel XTi is not easy. Especially if you’re trying to reduce your arm length holding the camera so you don’t look like Mr. Fantastic with a rubber arm holding it.

Secondly, the flashes are unpredictable when you’re in the center of it all. If I was behind the camera it’d be a different story, I can see the arc and throw of each flash. But when I’m in the center of it all. Ugh.