My name is Nicolette Jackson-Pownall. I shoot magazine style portraits that reveal the power and beauty found in those authentic moments that make each person uniquely captivating. One of my favorite sessions so far this year was an editorial-style, three-generation family shoot.
The Torres Women
Among the great joys I get in photographing people is recording a moment that can be passed on from generation to generation. And when you serve clients who genuinely recognize and appreciate that gift, it’s a match made in creative heaven.
The Torres’ daughters, who live two hours outside of Los Angeles in the beautiful area of Big Bear Mountain, booked a glamour shoot as a Christmas gift for their mom, Maria. Whose last professional portrait dates back to her first pregnancy over 30 years ago.
The girls wanted to celebrate their mom for being such an incredible, loving influence in their lives. But our conversations about a solo session quickly devolved into creating a studio shoot that could celebrate and honor each of them. As well as their relationships and their love for each other.
Planning the session
So over the next few weeks we planned their outfits, how they wanted to style their hair and makeup. And how we would create, non-too traditional, beautiful images that authentically reflect each woman's individuality. Maria’s granddaughter, who at two-and-half ended up being the piece de resistance of the session, was brought in mid-way into the shoot by her dad and granddad, leaving the women to gleefully focus on being pampered.
In all my glamour work, I seek to capture something unique about my clients, something deeply honest yet transformative. Whether I do so through a guided pose surrounded by an environment we've created, or whether it comes out in a captured in-between moment, when preparation meets unfiltered expression, I want my subject to experience herself in a way that is open and real. To help her do this, I provide a safe, nurturing space where she can show me her light: a singular beauty defined by her personality.
Why Magazine-Style?
I’ve always disliked stale, traditional looking studio portraits, and never understood why celebrities were the only ones to benefit from beautiful, stylish photography. So that’s why I shoot the way I do. And I believe this type of magazine-style portraiture is gaining momentum as a popular genre. It is fashion forward. It is conceptual. It is creative yet true to the person being photographed. It is empowering and moving; a celebratory gift to oneself and to our loved ones.
And so it was for the Torres family, whose session resulted in a truly unique series of portraits that I hope will honor these women and their legacy for years to come.
For more information about booking a designer portrait session with me, please email nicolette@NJPphotography.com or call 310.622.4580
You can also follow me on FB at https://www.facebook.com/PortraitsByNicolette/ and IG at https://www.instagram.com/portraitsbynicolette/
