DC in Drag: A Series of Portraits

Tonight was DC's annual drag race, a celebration of counter culture on 17th St NW. Hundreds of men dressed in their finest feminine apparel converge on this spot every Tuesday before Halloween. Their objective: to flaunt what they got for a couple hours down the street, ultimately partaking in two-block a foot race in which one lucky high heel-er is crowned the fastest of them all... in heels of course. This event has always been something I've been drawn to photographing. I'd venture to say it makes for one of my favorite Washington-insiders' activities.

This year I decided to shoot it differently than I normally would. While I'm a photojournalist at heart, I thought this would give me the chance to really explore my new found love of lighting techniques and Avendonian-style portraiture... dare I say I tried. With the generous help of Chris Gregory and Alex Hoff holding that damn white background in the rain for hours, and with extra help from CDIA, Paul Morse, and Ryder Haske for various pieces of equipment, I was able to be my own mobile studio in the streets. One background, one light, one camera, one lens.

Hopefully, you enjoy these images as much as I do, although I bet I enjoyed making them a hellofalot more.

Messing Around with Studio Lighting

For some photographers, like myself, there's nothing more fun than having a boat load of equipment at your disposal and simply getting the chance to play. This Friday I was lucky enough to stumble upon such an opportunity, but this time not with a new camera body or a tack-sharp lens. Instead, thanks to friend and photographer Chris Gregory, I ventured out of my safety zone and played around with studio lighting. This was more of a chance to dabble than to accomplish anything, a good way to waste a Friday afternoon, but it comes to show you that nice images can be made with the simplest intentions. No deadline, no one to please, just a couple photog's like kids in a candy store. Add in some of Chris' friends as models (Chris came to model a bit as well), and who coulda guessed, but some of the shots that came out I ended up really enjoying. I hope you enjoy them too.