Portraits, editorial work, etc.

  • A woman with shoulder-length dark hair wearing a strapless, textured beige dress with fringes, standing in front of abstract, textured wall art.
  • A woman with silver hair styled in waves, dressed in a patterned and colorful Asian-inspired outfit, stands against a background featuring a large blossom flower on a red and orange textured backdrop.
  • Woman in a lace dress with floral embroidery, posing with her hands on her hips, surrounded by a background of illuminated colorful flowers and butterflies.
  • A woman with blonde hair in a red coat, black top, patterned shorts, red high heels, posing with hands in pockets against a plain background.
  • A woman with pink hair looking up, standing in front of a textured red and beige background.
  • A woman with dark hair wearing a black patterned sleeveless jumpsuit with a deep neckline, a white belt, and black shoes, standing in a dark, artistic environment with abstract shapes around her.
  • A woman in a white dress standing against a plain wall, with a motion blur effect creating a double exposure appearance.
  • Black and white photo of a woman sitting in a curled position, wearing a large fur hat, fur gloves, and high-heeled shoes, with her back partially exposed.
  • Portrait of a woman with reddish hair, wearing a beige short-sleeve sweater and a black lace skirt, sitting against a dark background with a wooden frame on the right, and wearing a black and amber necklace.
  • A woman with long dark hair looking over her shoulder, wearing a sleeveless top and a patterned skirt against a dark background.
  • Young woman sitting on a vintage sofa with a dark, textured background, wearing a colorful, patterned dress with blue, black, and green hues, and looking directly at the camera.
  • Black and white close-up portrait of a woman with wet hair, wearing a striped shirt, looking to the side.
  • Blurred portrait of a woman with dark hair, wearing a dark top, against a dark background.
  • A woman standing in front of a background with black balloons hanging in strings. She has light hair, a serious expression, and is wearing a dark button-up shirt.
  • Black and white photo of a woman with long, wavy hair wearing a low-cut dress, standing outdoors with blurred background and clouds in the sky.
  • A black and white photograph of a shirtless person with short hair and a nose ring, holding a long stick or pole, looking down with a contemplative expression.
  • A portrait of a woman with dark hair in an elegant, high-collared black dress with floral embroidery, set against a warm, textured brown background.
  • Black and white close-up portrait of a woman with dark hair, holding a white scarf near her face.
  • A black-and-white photo of a woman with shoulder-length hair, standing with crossed arms, wearing a dark jacket and patterned skirt, against a plain background.
  • A person is looking into a mirror with handwriting and scribbles on it, and their reflection is superimposed over the writing.
  • Black and white image of a woman with short hair, holding a small object near her face, partially obscured by shadow and light.
  • Black and white portrait of a woman with short hair, looking downward with a calm expression, in soft lighting with blurred lights in the background.
  • Blurry black and white photo of a woman with dark hair, wearing a striped shirt, looking to the side against a plain background.
  • Silhouette of a woman's profile against the sunlit ocean at sunset, with wet hair and reflections on the water.
  • Black and white portrait of a woman with shoulder-length wavy hair, looking over her shoulder with a serious expression.
  • Black and white photo of a woman looking out a window with light reflecting on her face.
  • Black and white photo of a woman with wet hair, eyes closed, and one hand on her shoulder, with a moon and shadow in the background.
  • A young man stands in profile with closed eyes, surrounded by and blending into handwritten poetry projected on a dark background.
  • Black and white photo of a woman with short hair covering one eye, holding her hand up to her face with fingers splayed across her face, creating a surreal visual effect.

EXPERIMENTS WITH SURREALIST PORTRAITURE

Recent edits of photo session with Emily Jean Nance (Toronto, February 2025)

These images explore surrealist portraiture with techniques reminiscent of those pioneered by Man Ray, Lee Miller and their contemporaries. I intend to capture an ethereal ambiguity, a hallmark of surrealist photographic practice, using long exposures and tonal manipulations, especially solarization, a method Man Ray famously employed to invert reality and unsettle perception.

I exhibit my subject as both present and ephemeral, to create ghostly, uncertain figures that recall the mysterious quality of Man Ray's rayographs. Long exposures create temporal layering and generate distortions of the human form (intentional blurring, visual duplication, etc.) ... leading to a sense of spatial and existential ambiguity.

EXPERIMENTS IN “CONSTRUCTIVIST” PORTRAITURE

I’m a long-time admirer of the formal and visual elements of Constructivist photography and cinematography. The portraits below are experimental exercises in this style, built as a nod to the original movement that treated art as an engineered construction rather than personal expression.

Inspired by Alexander Rodchenko’s hard contrasts and framing, I composed the subjects using stark geometry. Projected shapes, mirrors, and layered reflections fracture their figures, echoing early photomontage and cinematic experiments with double-exposures and oblique angles.

However, I don’t follow Constructivism's traditionally austere detachment. By introducing a nostalgic colour palette, heightened stylization, and capturing my subject’s shifting emotional auras, these images intentionally emphasize style and sentiment over pure mechanics.

  • Black and white photo of a woman sitting on a chair, with a reflection of her in a mirror behind her, in an art gallery or studio setting.
  • A woman with curly hair and sunglasses sitting with arms crossed, reflected in a glass surface, wearing a blazer over a blouse.
  • A woman's face with red lipstick looking through a glass window with red and white reflections.
  • A woman with curly hair wearing an orange jacket, standing with her arms crossed, illuminated by colorful light reflections.
  • A woman standing inside a glass display case with colorful lighting, wearing a patterned dress, with her head bowed and hands resting on her stomach.
  • A woman with dark hair and a black tank top is partially shadowed with colored lines cast across her face and body, creating an abstract pattern.
  • A woman with brown hair and red lipstick stands in front of a geometric background, with shadows and lines cast across her face from a grid or pattern.
  • A woman in a floral cheongsam dress standing against a reflective surface with colorful light effects and a distorted reflection.
  • Black and white photograph of a woman with light skin and dark hair, wearing a striped shirt, standing in front of a projection screen. Her face is illuminated, creating a shadow of her profile on the wall behind her.
  • A woman with curly hair wearing sunglasses and a gray blazer sits with her arms crossed, in front of a reflective glass wall, with colorful lighting creating a moody atmosphere.
  • A woman with dark hair and light skin wearing a black tank top, standing against a black background, with a reflective surface or glass in front of her, showing her face and upper body, with overlapping lines and shapes across her face and body, creating an abstract and artistic effect in black and white.
  • A woman with short dark hair and red lipstick has a shadow cast behind her on a green wall, with a geometric artwork shown on the wall.
  • A woman with closed eyes and long brown hair, wearing a floral top, is surrounded by a colorful, blurry, and distorted background with rainbow-colored light effects.

Statement on Portraiture

Portrait photography is often described as an attempt to capture a subject’s essential character, or even their spirit. I find that aspiration beautiful, but too absolute. For me, a portrait is most powerful when it provokes curiosity—when it invites the viewer to look longer, and to wonder.

A compelling portrait does not place the subject fully under a clear, declarative light. It leaves something unresolved. Some part of the person remains withheld, obscured, or translated through abstraction, so that the image continues to open itself to interpretation.

My background in philosophy shapes this approach. I am drawn to images with a lyrical, contemplative quality—portraits that operate emotionally, but also intellectually. I often work with reflective surfaces, motion blur, diffusion, unusual lighting, shadow, and sometimes subtle surreal elements. I also use colour grading to create an atmosphere that feels specific to the subject, rather than merely decorative.

I am less interested in making a subject immediately legible than in creating a sense of intimacy, dignity, and intrigue. In posing, I often look for moments of quiet strength, thoughtfulness, or inwardness.

Ultimately, I believe an interesting portrait can be more lasting than a conventionally beautiful one. The best portraits do not answer every question; they deepen the desire to ask.

I'm available for commissions and am able to serve both private individuals, as well as commercial/institutional clients. 

Black and white portrait of a woman with long hair, looking to the right, with a calm expression.
  • A blurry, artistic photo of a woman with short dark hair, standing sideways with a neutral expression against a plain, textured wall background.
  • A blurred, black-and-white photo of a woman with her eyes closed, head tilted slightly upward, and short hair, against a dark background.
  • A woman with short dark hair wearing a high-collared, patterned garment, looking upward, with a blurred background of leaves and blue sky.
  • A blurred portrait of a woman with red hair in low light.
  • A woman with dark, shoulder-length hair and glasses, wearing a red lace top, posing against a blurred colorful background.
  • A faint and blurry image of a woman's face in a dark setting.