I got approached by a stylist to shoot one of his favorite clients. Leslie Odam Jr. I asked a friend of mine who managed a hotel if we could use one of the suites to shoot. He said yes and we were off to the races. Within the first two minutes of meeting Leslie, I was fully in my element. He was so inquisitive of the photographic process and engaged in me as a person. He was so relaxed yet still a bit nervous. One of his first questions to me was; What do I want people to think as I am shooting them, what should be going on in their head? It takes an actor to ask that kind of question… always about character, which I love. My smart ass answer was… think like you are writing a grocery list… need to pick up milk, bread, beer?…lol. He got a smile on his face and realized it’s not that serious… just have fun! I said to him; you sing… you dance… you act… you do it all! I am going to use all of those skills in this shoot… just follow my lead.
He let go and took my every direction like a pro. It was fun to see him come out from behind a shy wall. Still photo shoots are tough for actors to wrap their head around because it does not flow continuously. But we got our rhythm so quickly and shot all over the hotel, creating a caravan of a spectacle for all the patrons to watch. It was a great time… such a talented man.
