Posts from the ‘portrait’ Category
From The Archives – Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Images by Robert Caplin
Some time ago I was assigned to take a portrait of Academy Award winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman for the Los Angeles Times. It was back when he had three films releasing in three months: Before the Devil Knows You re Dead, The Savages, and Charlie Wilson’s War.
Normally when I shoot celebrities it’s during a “press junket”, which is when the production company is promoting a new movie and they invite the press to interview/photograph the cast. They’ll typically rent out an entire floor (or more) of a fancy-pants hotel (this time the Regency Hotel on Park Avenue) and they give me a hotel room to set up some quick portraits. I usually get about 10 minutes to take a portrait….usually less. Also, the celebrities are usually flanked by their publicists who like to give me a hard time and tell me what to do and how to take the photo. Fortunately for this shoot, the publicist was extremely kind and corporative when I asked if there was a chance we could shoot on the roof of the hotel, rather than in a hotel room.
The hotel manager brought my assistant and me to the roof to scout it some good locations and I quickly realized it’d make for some good photos. Philip was kind enough to climb up to the very top and sit on the edge of the building…I actually think he got a little worried as when he was sitting on the edge, when I asked him to change poses, he said, “Um, no thanks”.
All and all, a successful shoot!
Of course I had to get a shot of myself on the edge!
And the Emmy goes to….
I have an exciting job that sometimes affords me the opportunity to work with celebrities. This evening I watched three of my recent portrait subjects receive Emmy’s for their work.
Congrats to the winners Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, and Paul Giamatti!
Paul Giamatti.
“John Adams”
Winner: Actor in a Miniseries
Alec Baldwin
“30 Rock”
Winner: Actor in a Comedy Series
Tina Fey
“30 Rock”
Winner: Actress in a Comedy Series
And, of course, congrats to the nominees too!:
Mary Louise Parker
“Weeds”
Nominee: Actress in a Comedy Series
David Morse
“John Adams”
Nominee: Supporting Actor in a Miniseries
Rain Wilson
“The Office”
Nominee: Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
FRINGE
I had a fun assignment a little over a week ago on the set of FOX’s new drama “FRINGE”…Since it just published in the paper, I can finally post up some phoos….and no better day then the show’s premiere night.
I really get a kick out of how television and movies are produced, so every time I’m on a set I really just take it in. I’m a TV show junkie, so I love to see behind the scenes and how the shows are created, not to mention getting to interact with the actors and production staff on the set.
What was fun was walking into hair and makeup and and seeing an actor lying on the ground and realizing he’s playing a corpse undergoing an autopsy. Gnarly! The best was him walking through the line for dinner. 
Daniel Renton undergoes extensive makeup to play a corpse undergoing an autopsy.
Renton in his scene
Dinner time on the set.
Josua Jackson portrait….while in makeup from a torture scene.
Jasinka Nicole plays a supporting role
John Noble plays the mad scientist.
Joshua Jackson shows me his bloody gloves. (fake blood made with KY Jelly…)
Anna Torv…she’s going to be a hit.
American Idol’s Katherine McPhee
Last week the LA Times hired me to take some portraits of Katherine McPhee, a former American Idol contestant who’s now gone into acting on top of singing/songwriting. I was given 15 minutes with her in her dressing prior to her appearance on Live with Regis and Kelly to promote her new movie “The House Bunny.”. Typically when I shoot celebrities, I’m given anywhere from 5-15 minutes to make a pretty picture….and this was no different. Fortunately, though, Katherine is still young and new to the world of celebrity, so the session was pretty laid back and fun.
Check out the LA Times Article here.
Here are a few pics from the shoot:
This was my personal favorite from the shoot.
The shot the LA Times chose online
We did a couple white wall shots.
I liked the monochromatic feel of her dress against the wall.
I have this effect on women…
How it ran in print.
Alec Baldwin Makes a House-Call
I got a call from the LA TImes asking me to shoot a portrait of Alec Baldwin a few weeks back for the cover of their “Envelope” special section….a section about the Emmys. Alec got nominated. Anyhow, they wanted to shoot somewhere private and asked If I had a studio, which I dont, but I suggested my backyard and the deal was set; Alec Baldwin coming over to my apartment for a photoshoot! Wild!
Turned out he canceled the shoot when he got here because he was too hot. So we did a reshoot a few days later in the Hamptons.
*****READ THE LA TIMES ARTICLE….it talks about his sweaty experience at my apartment at the beginning, middle, and end!!!
LA Times Envelope cover
Alternate
Alternate
Buddy Noah posing in one of the would-be shots if Alec had shot in my backyard
Alec and me in my backyard.
