Revisiting a 2021 Photoshoot: Black Widow and Captain America
Hey everyone!
Recently, my buddy Chris hit me up for the URL to the photos I took of him back in 2021. I keep most of my photos indefinitely, so I said sure, but when I looked at them, I cringed. As artists, we evolve, and what I was proud of back then now feels like it belongs in a cringe compilation. So, I told Chris to give me a few days. Sunday, I went through nearly 200 photos and re-edited most of them. Chris will probably be showing them off now, and I'm excited to share some galleries from this shoot too.
Let’s hop into the DeLorean and head back to 2021. My friend Lydon had invited me for a last-minute photoshoot. I was not in the best headspace—thanks to a messy divorce that left me homeless. I like to plan my shoots meticulously, but this time I had just a few days to rally some people and make it happen. I invited my trusty friends like Lauren (@gothampd), who’s Black Widow in these shots, and Chris (@theghostur2me), just to ensure I’d get some photos I actually liked, since I had no idea who else would show up.
Turns out, Kevin (@kjeezy87) and Vanessa (@thevhenix) were there too, and the shoot turned out to be epic. At the time, I couldn’t have predicted that. I also reached out to my friend Jim Stone (@kingofdtlv), who graciously let us use the Backstage Bar & Billiards—a venue that’s as unique as it sounds.
Given the last-minute scramble and the fact that most of my gear was in storage, I had to make do with one softbox and some light sticks. This wasn’t ideal—some photos ended up over-exposed, others had too many shadows. I edited heavily to get the color and exposure closer to what I wanted, but the results were still different from my usual style. These photos had a vintage mood—an unintentional but interesting twist. Normally, I go for hyper-clear, high-saturation shots, but these had me thinking about the vibe more deeply. Revisiting and re-editing these photos made me appreciate the old vibe while considering how to blend it with my current style.
This first batch of photos features Lauren and Chris as Black Widow and Captain America. Notice Chris sporting the light blue version of Cap’s shield. Dive in and enjoy!
