Spontaneous photography in New York City w/ Rachel Monroe!

Good day, Steemit! I’m sweating it out at Caffetto in uptown Minneapolis. This room has to be 85º or more. @millsguthrie is across from me Minecrafting. I’m still taking in the crypto-happenings and the depth of how it’s all affecting my life. @lovejoy and I are getting together this week to discuss some ways to better represent the thriving Minneapolis community here on Steemit. The $2.50 STEEM price shock is wearing off and I’m beginning to think bigger picture thoughts again.

Today’s photography selection comes from last summer. A spontaneous shoot with an up and coming model named Rachel Monroe living and working in NYC. All my shoots for this east coast trip of Philadelphia, Scranton, PA and NYC were booked. Just two days before I got on a plane, I had a cancelation in NYC, then made an announcement of Instagram that I could take one more booking.

Rachel was the first to contact me and from there, we set up a time and place for what would become her shoot. Rachel has been modeling periodically for the last year or so. She was hoping to round out her portfolio with professional photos in the busy New York surroundings. Images with the dark esthetic I’m know for, but with a more modern feel than the vintage/pinup work I often do.

She met me and @vermillionfox near the edge of Central Park and we ventured down paths looking for nooks and crannies, hoping to make interesting photos. The annual Puerto-Rican festival was going on the same afternoon and as busy as Central Park can be in the summer, it was 10x’s more crowded. I did, however, manage to find a small space between two giant rocks and make a beautiful, elvish-like shot in the only remote space we could find.

From there, we all made our way back to Times Square where @vermillionfox and I were staying at a Hilton hotel. We made it to the 14th floor. Rachel changed in to a beautiful red, textured dress. She and @vermillionfox changed her make-up look and we were able to start shooting just as the sun was setting over the city. The “golden hour” lighting cascaded through the giant windows casted dramatic light across Rachel’s face and figure. It made for a very pulp, SinCity/Frank Miller vibe that I love.

This shoot was a perfect stopgap for a day I would have been in the city without work. Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time in NYC, but when I’m there, I’m there to make money. Rachel was an outstanding model and I’m still really proud of these photos, slightly outside of my comfort zone wandering from my vintage/pinup work, but a reaffirmation that I’m still about to make good photos outside of my niche audience.

Thanks for reading! I have a big announcement I’ll be making in a post or two so please follow me here @kommienezuspadt. I post daily. Photography, art, illustration and thoughts on life. Have a great night!