New Face: Tommaso
Many months ago, while wandering the side streets of Trastevere, I walked past a young man who stopped me in my tracks. His striking light blue eyes were unique. His vibe was genuine, a bit shy even - and yet he still evoked a star quality in the short interaction we had.
After a quick chat, we exchanged information as I was quite sure I wanted to photograph him. He had never modeled before and so I was unsure what to expect on the day of our shoot. We decided on a few classic looks and used this mood board to focus on the overall look and concept of the shoot.
“…I really love these photos, and the way you took them, so grateful for them.”
Are you ready to create new portfolio images?
We styled the shoot with clothes which Tommaso already had in his closet, including his father’s vintage letterman style jacket from Paris, patchwork denim, Nike high tops, proper corduroy trousers, a turtleneck, and just a hint of some Calvin Klein boxers. The wardrobe was simple which allowed the focus to be on Tommaso. He arrived with his own jewelry - one piece was actually handed down to him from his grandmother and was just right to compliment his energy. I loved his choices and wanted to incorporate everything he wore when he arrived to set - especially his rock and roll inspired silver rings. Toward sunset, I simply added a large neutral tone plaid patterned scarf, which we used as a prop toward the end of the shoot, as well as a textured navy cap for a classic look. We made sure to incorporate his tattoos. The laundry lines added a cool feature to showcase a classic Roman rooftop.
Posing was rather simple with the focus being on movement and body shapes - I wanted to capture a youthful, carefree coolness.
With such powerful eyes, we made sure to get some intense looks to show the emotion of the moment. It is hard to believe that he hadn’t already been in a major editorial or fashion campaign based on his ability to work with me in front of the lens.
While we shot, I learned about Tommaso’s talents as a writer for film and I was impressed by his story, which is in pre-production. An absolutely powerful movie is in the works! I can’t wait to share one day.
