Habeeb was one of my first models years ago and he is a friend who now lives in Atlanta so every time I’m there we always talk about photography and sometimes even make pictures. This time we walked along Peachtree Street in Downtown Atlanta and the weather was freezing. I took this picture just while Habeeb was telling a joke and at the same time the wind was so cold that we could barely stay in the street without walking fast to warm up. So the picture was taken very quickly which gives it a very spontaneous and candid feel.

During my last trip to Atlanta I had the opportunity to meet with Eric (check his Modelmayhem page here) and I tried some flash balanced sunlight snapshots with him. We shot this series in Midtown, close to a painted wall that I used as a backdrop. The sun was setting down so the light intensity wasn’t that strong and I could use just one Nikon SB-900 strobe held by my friend and assistant Habeeb. We used a translucent umbrella to diffuse the light. You can see the whole series on my website (see LOCATION SHOOTS section and then Portfolio Eric Ellerby).

Alpana Vij is a Singapore based Indian painter who recently contacted me and asked if she could use one of my photographs as inspiration for one of her paintings. Given the quality of her work I gladly accepted and was enthusiast to contribute to her work of art, even by a small piece. Now that I have the result in front of me I am even happier and actually feel honored. Alpana takes my photography to a higher level; the light is no more an external source like in a photographer’s studio - it comes out of the model himself in a myriad of elementary movements that add up to a maelstrom, yet gravitating around the focal point of the picture, the eyes. Like in a hurricane the eye is the concentration of the tormented forces around and once you have looked at them you can’t escape the contact. The force of Alpana’s interpretation is amazing. I wish she could find inspiration in more of my pictures. Visit her web site here. Here is the painting (model: Achille, Acrylic on Plywood 24″ X 18″).

Check this new project I’ve been working on - the Sugar stories. You will recognize some of Jan.C models such as Mike or Yann. If you like the story please become a fan on Facebook or recommend us to your friends. The story is in French but if you use the top left button on the main page you can switch the language to English.