Being Me

As I grow older as a photographer, I’ve learned to trust my own instincts. I’ve discovered that if I try to do what I believe someone else wants from me, I’m doomed. The imagery is always a failure - at least it is for me. But if I just do what I feel is great, it always turns out great. It’s not about being a diva, nor caring about pleasing - as I care deeply about pleasing my clients. It’s just that I have to keep reminding myself that they’ve hired me to be me, and the only compass I have for being me is, well, me. Not sure why I’m saying this, except to say that having a fantastic publication such as Graphis use my image to promote their photography annual is wonderful validation that trusting my compass works - at least some of the time. 

This is an image that began with a simple question: What if Icarus were a woman? My answer?  She would have beautiful, stunningly-colored wings, and they would be made from real feathers, not wax. That way, if she flew close to the sun, they wouldn’t melt. If Icarus were a woman, she would be too smart to do something dumb like that. 

Shot in Chicago last month while on a project for Discover Cards. Thanks to Cathy Wilson, Anne Dawson, Tyler Northrup, Jennifer Brown, Dani Koen and Brittany Arnold for all their help; to Miloni Phillips for being such a wonderful model; to all the beautiful birds, Piwackett, Simone, Tootsie and Ruby; and to Studio Rental Chicago for letting us use their beautiful studio.