Take a self portrait

          When was the last time you took a self portrait? Go ahead and send it around.

It's been quite a while since my last post. I've been busy on many projects as well as raising 5 kids.

One of my most exciting  projects was directing a music video with the very talented Stephanie St. Clair. She was great to work with and we all had a great time.

Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrTFWAauwHM

Cake Boss

I was pleasantly surprised when I got the call to shoot Buddy Valestro "The Cake Boss" for the second time.
The first time we worked together was a few years back when his show was in it's beginning.
Buddy was great, he couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating. So I wondered, did success change the Cake Boss?

Well it didn't. Buddy is the same cake making family man that I meet a few years back. This time we shot at his home for an upcoming issue in the fall. I told my crew that  I felt like I was back home. A million people coming and going, tons of food everywhere you look, and that feeling of being in an Italian home. We all had a great time. Boy, I could do one of these shoots a week! Oh, here's an image of my first shoot with Buddy.

Dr. Clown

I recently had the privilege to work with two outstanding people. Richard Ellis and Julie Pasqual of Big Apple Circus. They are professional clowns who give some of their time entertaining sick children in hospitals. It takes a special talent to enter a room of a child who has been severely burned or with cancer and to know how far you can go and where the boundaries are. It was incredible to see them in action. Not only are they funny and very entertaining, they really have great awareness of every situation. The patients absolutely loved their visit and of course being the stranger in the room taking photos, I was the brunt of many of theirs stunts and gags. Felt like a normal day!

Treasured Memories

I love shooting video. It opens up so many more possibilities that I don't have with still. Although I'm not quite ready to give up my cameras! Check out my test spot for Blackberry.

http://www.polillio.com/Treasured_Memories.html

My biggest Lie

A buddy of mine who makes a living as a model, told me that the trend in casting is clients requesting cell phone photos of models be sent to them instead of comp cards. Evidently too many models are lying about the way they look thanks to photoshop. It's never been easier to lie than it is these days. It got me to thinking, what's the biggest fib I ever told? While I've never manipulated anyones looks to misrepresent who they are, I remember one shoot that I was doing in a very hip Korean coffee bar. The stylist had this great looking pair of designer pants that only fit a rather short and portly crew member. The art director asked me if I could make it work. 

So I did a photoshop weight loss & extension program.

"I Will Survive"

70's disco diva Gloria Gaynor was such a joy to work with and a real pro. We put her to the test too! Having chronic knee problems, Gloria found Euflexxa to provide her with the relief that she needed so she could dance and perform again. Despite photographing her on her knees, exercising, dancing, etc., she did an awesome job and even sang for us! That was a treat!