ABOUT Duende and My Photography

I have rarely found anyone who is immediately comfortable in front of the camera.  Even if someone is agreeable or eager to be photographed, the first shots are often a familiar pose or "photo smile." These photos can be appealing, but my intention is to capture true essence.

An elderly gypsy dancer helped me understand my passion to record the beauty I see in everyone.  It was during a flamenco performance that began with young dancers as trim as toreadors and ballerinas, their torsos lean and taut.  The old woman danced last.  She was frumpy at best, until she took the stage! She mesmerized, electrified, pulverized all stereotypes of what beauty is or is not. Afterward she spoke of Duende or essence, spirit, soul…that it alone transmits our true beauty.

Duende transcends the physical. It keeps us present in the moment. A photograph that captures someone who is present, is authentic and satisfying. I am most gratified when someone says that their photograph captures how they look to themselves, or how they feel inside.

I began as a photojournalist but my experience in the performing  arts has directed my path to the character and portrait work I do today. Learning costuming, make-up, lighting and staging made me a photo stylist as well as photographer.  This skill enhances my ability to transform an ordinary environment into something different, whimsical, exotic, even extraordinary. My parallel career in corporate relocation allowed me to connect and serve people from all over the world, and I bring this tapestry of color and culture to my work. 

Over the years I have shifted from event photography to exclusively character and portrait work. I rarely work in the studio and prefer to be on location in venues that are comfortable and familiar for my subjects, or inspiring and energizing. I find that these environments invite my subjects to be relaxed, open…and most of all, present!