EDITORIAL PORTRAITS // Celebrating Inspiring Women
– Faces of Influence –
Taking portraits of professional women is personal. What’s often a quick assignment requires collaboration and openness to achieve a photo that conveys the subject’s personality. I’m always honored to be tapped to join these women in their homes and workplaces to feature and honor them.
– Washington Post –
The bright natural light and colorful furnishings in her home made it possible to set up the shoot with minimal crew and production – a key light balanced the ambient sunlight and we were ready. It was a pleasure to be in the presence of a woman whose insight and influence helps people so generously and I was thrilled to be tapped for this job.
With nearly 2 million Instagram followers, Nedra Tawwab is comfortable in front of the camera. I met the bestselling author, therapist, and plant enthusiast in her Charlotte, NC home on a sunny Thursday morning on assignment for the Washington Post and knew right away that we would have no problem getting the right shot for the publication. She’s promoting her book, “Drama Free,” her third on the subject of healthy relationships and boundary setting. Her open smile, calm energy, and no-nonsense attitude allows for easy connection with and without the camera.
– school library journal –
Julie Stivers is 100% focused on making a difference in the lives of her students. When we met her in the library of Mount Vernon Middle School to take her portrait for the cover of School Library Journal, she wanted to feature the kids. Her approach to teaching at the academic recovery school focuses on creating a welcoming, inclusive environment in the library filled with a collection that reflects the students she teaches. It’s easy to see why she was named the 2023 School Librarian of the Year. She gets to know her students, some of whom were left behind or fell back, by engaging with their interests and making the library a place they want to be.
Her work is to be of service to the kids, and that’s what she wanted her portraits in the interior of the Journal to convey. Her vision was to show her engaging with a group of former students in the way she normally interacts – sitting in a conversational circle surrounded by books. What started as a single subject became a pursuit of the perfect candid shot of a group. The trust between Stivers and the students was apparent, and came through in the images as comfort and ease. For the cover image, we coaxed her outside for a more personal solo shot that would stay true to her identity: a friendly, casual pose and a delighted grin that invites you in to learn more.
– profile magazine –
She now uses her considerable experience to ensure that Fidelity’s 60,000 associates feel seen, heard, and appreciated. Profile Magazine was a wonderful client to work with, and allowed me to direct the shoot with several setups across Fidelity’s RTP campus that conveyed Wendy’s grace, power, and professionalism. My team spent the day with Wendy and her team collaborating on settings that would convey her warm and friendly personality while adhering to the publication’s brand identity. I always appreciate the chance to get to know a subject, however briefly, and apply my creativity to feature them proudly and authentically.
Credits & Department Leads:
School Library Journal:
Photographer: Natalia Weedy
Production Company: Cowboy Collective
Producer: Virginia Dees-Boyd
Photo Assistant: Molly Brock
Retoucher: Amber Hogan
Washington Post:
Photographer: Natalia Weedy
Production Company: Cowboy Collective
Producer: Virginia Dees-Boyd
Photo Assistant: Rachel Sutton
Retoucher: Amber Hogan, Kelly Toth
Profile Magazine:
Photographer: Natalia Weedy
Production Company: Cowboy Collective
Producer: Virginia Dees-Boyd
Gaffer: John Laww
Digi Tech: Ronan Brown
Stylist: Eddie Segoviano
PA: Megan Pennington
Retoucher: Amber Hogan, Kelly Toth
Photographing Wendy John for a piece in Profile Magazine on her role as Head of Global Diversity and Inclusion at Fidelity was an honor and an inspiration. I was thrilled for the chance to contribute to shining a light (literally and symbolically) on a woman who has overcome obstacles throughout her life to find success and do meaningful work in a corporate setting. As she says in the article, she feels as though her “entire life feels like a study in D&I” as she grew up with limited educational options and fought hard to pursue a career that made use of her skill and intelligence.
