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June 18, 2015

Sydney Graus from Elite Model Management

After arriving in LA after an 18 hour road trip from Texas, I figured I would be the only masochist down for long drives. Well I came to find out my brilliant model Sydney Graus from Elite Model Management LA also made the long trek. She did come from a much colder climate in Jackson Hole, Wyoming however. Well let me tell you, there is nothing cold about Sydney. Scouted at IMTA LA this girl is absolutely on fire in front of the camera. To be honest, I’ve never been a big fan of IMTA, mainly due to the high cost, but hey, Sydney was discovered there!

I didn’t have much time to shoot Sydney as her mom was driving in to LA from Wyoming for the first time and we had switched some things on my calendar to make the shoot happen. As with most photoshoots, I wanted to knock out 2-3 looks on both digital and with my trusty film camera. For Syd, I was dead set on shooting some clean jean looks in studio and then taking to some alleys in LA’s fashion district. We saved all the film shots for the alley and I’m pretty stoked about how they turned out. Take a look at a few of my faves and I can’t wait to work with Sydney again.

Comment below, let me know what you think.

Photographer: Jay Marroquin | Makeup: Giovanna Paramo | Hair: Amber Rose | Model: Sydney Graus from Elite LA

June 11, 2015

Celesta Hodge from Elite LA. She turns it up to 11.

How can you put into words, the emotions or feelings you get when doing something you’re passionate about? When the people you work with make you a happy person, a better person? When people give you that which is invaluable, time? You really can’t. All you can do is say thank you.

As a fashion photographer, I can truly say I’ve been a very fortunate person to have worked with some amazing people, in some very amazing places. Riding a scooter across an island with a gorgeous Australian model looking for a hidden beach in Bali, or shooting on the streets of Tokyo’s Ginza district late at night. Well every place has that special something about it, an allure or magic. Well LA is no different.

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of working with rockstar model Celesta Hodge from Elite Model Management LA. Yes, she’s absolutely stunning, a beautiful girl with the top agency in town. Let’s be honest, that’s why you’re here. To appreciate some great photos of a girl who absolutely kills it in front of the camera. Whether you appreciate the photography, the beauty of the model, or the art, that’s why you’re here.

But what you don’t know is this, Celesta has a kickass personality. A wicked sense of humor and infectious smile. Not only this, but the girl has to be some closet race car driver. I mean, how couldn’t she when she’s rolling in an Audi R8. Maybe that’s why I liked this girl so much, perhaps I’m a bit biased with my prior driving background. Well, that’s ok, and I’m ok with that.

Comment below, let me know what you think.

Photographer: Jay Marroquin | Hair & Makeup: Amber Rose | Model: Celesta Hodge from Elite Model Management

May 29, 2015

Oly is 5’7″ and with Elite Model Management

One of the most frequent questions I get is “I’m not tall, can I still sign with an agency?”. Most of the time this question comes while having coffee with a potential model or talking to a girls parents. If there’s one thing people know about me, is that I can be pretty direct and honest at times. I guess this is what I love about working in NY. I’d rather someone tell me directly that my photography isn’t to their liking, or it sucks than be afraid to say that and lie giving me some kind of hope.

I think that works the same way with people trying to enter the fashion industry or become a model, male or female. If we’re having coffee and you’re less than 5’8″ in height, I’m probably going to tell you to forget about be a runway or high fashion model but focus on beauty, commercial or lifestyle work. Most agencies are probably going to push you to their acting division. I”ll get the “but Kate Moss is 5’7″ and made it” comment and I’ll reply, Kate is 1 in a million, err, actually make that 1 in 7 billion. But if I had listed to people telling me I couldn’t race cars professionally or be a runway photographer in Paris, I’d never be here writing this blog post.

So here’s some advice for girls wanting to be models. This post is directed to more of my female audience since I work with female talent quite a bit. You really have to know your market. Being a 5’7″ girl in Houston or Dallas is WAY different than being a 5’7″ girl in NYC. That’s just a plain fact. Girls rocking the runway in NY are now usually 5’10 1/2″ to 6’2″. Girls in Miami or LA are going to have more of a swim/lingerie figure. Also, be honest with yourself and be realistic. Look at what’s happening in the industry and see if you either fit a current mold or have a look that will break the mold. And never give up on your dreams, but do work hard to make them reality.

So how did we get on this topic? Well because of Oly. You see, Oly who is 5’7″ recently signed with Elite in LA. Elite Model Management is easily one of the top 3 agencies in the world. While recently in LA I reached out to Elite having worked the Elite Milan a few times. Serena, who is absolutely a joy to work with and a booker there, was kind enough to send me a package of around 10 beautiful girls. This is what I like about a top agency. Right off the bat I knew I was going to choose 2-3 girls to photograph. Immediately Oly’s port caught my eye. The girl is stunning and has a gaze to die for. I then looked at her measurements and noticed she was 5’7″. But that didn’t matter, why? Because the girl can model and knocks out the gazes and poses to die for. She naturally has it, that “it” factor that you can’t measure. All I have to say is kudos to the scout or new talent director that decided to sign her.

Comment below, let me know what you think.

Photographer: Jay Marroquin | Hair & Makeup: Amber Rose | Model: Oly from Elite Model Management