It’s always been fun working with Sarah Jaffe. She’s a wonderful singer and you can tell she has a great respect for other artists. Having photographed her several times over the years, I’ve witnessed her growth, becoming more confident in herself and her amazing musical talent. It makes the title of this cover story for the Dallas Observer even more special to me, because I’ve watched her bloom.
This cover shoot popped up last-minute, and we struggled with finding a good location to shoot. I had several ideas, but there just wasn’t enough time to implement most of them. Luckily, my friend Danny Balis offered up Twilite Lounge in Deep Ellum. I’d been to his bar before, and I knew it was full of character… but, you never know how a location is going to jive with your subject until you see them there on location.
I don’t know if it was luck or karma… or, maybe it was just Sarah’s impeccable style, but her hair, make-up, and clothing fit Danny’s bar perfectly! This was a good thing, because there was no budget for a stylist or make-up artist on this last-minute shoot – we HAD to run with whatever Sarah brought in with her.
It only took an hour to shoot everything we needed. Definitely one of the easier cover shoots I’ve done! I love the way her floral print shirt makes it look like she’s blooming from this lush, green jungle. The green background really makes her pop!
She joked that the angle of the cover photo makes her hand appear smaller than real life, but it’s designed to help accentuate her face and draw the viewer in to her eyes… magnifying their gaze. Besides, who wants to magnify their hands in a picture? You can compare it to the picture that ran inside with the story (posted below), and see how much different a slight perspective change can feel. Add in the red background and dramatic lighting, and the image carries a MUCH different tone! We kept the same shirt, so it could contrast with red wallpaper. I love that shirt!
