How Sessions Work
These are editorial test shoots — collaborative work built to strengthen both of our portfolios. Here's how I approach a session, so you know what to expect before you reach out. Questions are always welcome.
How I work
I shoot at a private studio in SoHo, in sessions of about three hours. I direct actively — posing, light, expression — but I check in as we go and adjust to what's working for you. We build the looks together. The pace is unhurried: we shoot in sets, review as we go, and take breaks whenever you want one.
I light with continuous LED and soft modifiers rather than flash, which keeps us both free to move and lets me catch the small, natural shifts in expression and posture between poses — an approach I picked up studying under Peter Mueller in Germany.
We always start with a warm-up against a plain background — it's where we get to know each other and find a shared shorthand. It's completely normal to feel stiff at first; we simply set those early frames aside. I also bring printed pose references you can pull from, so we land on looks you're actually excited about rather than settling into the same handful of poses.
You're welcome to bring a friend, agent, or chaperone. It changes nothing about how I work.
Comfort, on your terms
Every session is calibrated to you. Before we shoot, I'll show you reference boards and you choose the level you'd like to work within — from classic, fully-clothed portrait and fashion, through more editorial looks, to implied work where any coverage comes from pose, fabric, and light. There is no explicit or nude content at any level.
A few things I want to be clear about up front:
The levels aren't a ladder — choosing the most classic option costs you nothing and doesn't affect whether or how we work together.
Within any level, you set the specifics.
Your choice beforehand is a starting point, not a commitment. You can stay lighter, step back mid-session, or stop entirely — at any point, with no explanation needed.
Nothing revealing is published anywhere — site, social, or otherwise — without your written okay first.
Collaborators must be 18+
These are adult professional collaborations. All collaborators must be 18 or older.
What you get
Video is part of most sessions — shot on a gimbal, leaning toward beauty-style motion — and you're free to cut your own reels from it. Need updated digitals for your agency? I'll shoot them in the same session; just give me a heads-up so I build in the time, and send any agency spec.
After the shoot, I deliver a proof gallery of 250–500 frames, usually within a week. You choose your favorites for retouching, and every select comes with a black-and-white version by default. I'll always share sample retouching levels first so the final look is one you're happy with.
Working together & credit
Classic, Instagram-friendly frames go to my site and Instagram with credit, and to you for your own use. More revealing images are delivered to you for your portfolio, and I only add any to my own portfolio with your explicit say-so. When you post, please credit me — tag or add @portraitart.nyc as a collaborator, and I'll credit you the same way. If you'd like tighter limits than any of this, we write them down before we shoot.
Interested?
If this sounds like a collaboration you'd like to do, reach out through the contact page or on Instagram, @portraitart.nyc. Once we're aligned on a date, I'll send full session details — studio address, timing, wardrobe notes, and the reference boards.