New photographer crush: Melissa Rodwell

So, every so often I get all warm and fuzzy about a certain photographer. I call it a photographer crush and I’m fairly sure every photographer goes through this. I had heard of Melissa when she came out with her DVD ‘fashion photography exposed‘. I totally wanted it but it was insanely expensive for someone like me who still hasn’t paid off her last camera purchase. ($300 may not sound like a lot to someone else with expendable income. I am not one of those people.) So, without much research, I just moved on. Hey, I’m fairly comfortable with ongoing disappointment.

While doing some research on fashion photography (something I do whenever I get a chance) I came across her again only this time I paid attention to her as opposed to being tempted into spending money I don’t have. OMG….she’s completely amazing. It’s not just that her work is fabulous, I’m also quite enamored by her whole attitude on photography.  While I start  stressing out days before a big shoot and obsess about getting things ‘perfect’ (whatever that is), Melissa remains  zen with the  mindset of ‘It’s fashion; we’re not curing cancer.” Anyone who’s ever seen me on any set knows I’m like a cyclone on crack. And here she is on major sets just strolling about  drinking her coffee, flirting with cute boys and being apologetically herself.  At the end of a shoot she’s walking around wearing random props and her Kim Gordon hair is still perfect while I look like a drowned dog.  She get’s the big bucks and is sought after to shoot for  magazines; building sets, shooting at crazy awesome locations with fantastic teams and is humble enough to say things like “I surround myself with talented people, that’s the secrete.”  While I recently just started building a team of make up artists, hair, stylists and agency talent I have no illusions that I will get to that caliber of photography any time soon…if ever.

In short, she’s everything I am not and everything I aspire to be.  And that’s why she’s my new photographer crush.