Just a few minutes outside of New York City is a world of industrial buildings that were formerly used to produce everything from fine silks to guns. That’s been my headquarters for the past month and it’s been so much fun finding interesting spots to shoot.

For portrait photography, I have different tastes. Sometimes I like it straight forward and without any distraction. But most of the time I like it to feel lived in. Shooting in a space that has been lived in, or worked in, lends itself to giving the person a bit more gravity in the scene. They absorb the essence of what the space is about. Hard work and determination are skills we can all relate to regardless of the line of work we’re in.

Mia has the energy and confidence you would expect from someone that models. It’s natural for her. I’ve also worked with models that are sort of shy in person, but convey a whole different feeling once we start shooting together. This was a great shoot from top to bottom and I’m happy to share some of my favorites from the session along with a couple behind the scenes shots courtesy of my assistant Lew Monty.

Special thanks for Wanida’s makeup and hair skills and Lew Monty’s assistance in making this shoot move nice and smooth.