rudyarias

[rudyarias]

Vogue (GR) Athens

Sept 2024 issue

Saturday February 3, 2024 was a very hectic day with delays in allowing wedding photographers to get their bridal parties shot that afternoon. I shot this first phase of this campaign in Boca Grande, Fl. Ultimately this entire campaign would produce the editorial feature for Daniel Alexander.

Model: Natalie Aponte

Designer: Daniel Alexander

Jewelry: Dayra Cristela Testa

Shoes: Tiffany Wingo

Stylist: John Henry Edington

MUA: Lucia Hernandez

Hair: Mint Morant

Nikon D850, AF Nikkor 300MM f4 IF-ED

ISO: 640

[rudyarias]

Vogue (GR) Athens

Sept 2024 issue

Friday May 10, 2024 was a very hectic day when I shot this second phase of this campaign in the courtyard of the building Daniel was staying in Paris. Ultimately this campaign would produce the editorial feature for Daniel Alexander.

Model: Francoise Odette Ngoumou

Designer: Daniel Alexander

Jewelry: Dayra Cristela Testa

Nikon D850, AF Nikkor 80-200MM f2.8D ED

ISO: 400

[rudyarias]

Vogue (GR) Athens

Sept 2024 issue

My eye has graced the pages in publications by Condé Nast, Hearst UK to Rolling Stone, Spin, Billboard, Stardust, Eclair, GMARO to name a few. Friday May 10, 2024 was a very hectic day when I shot a series of images in the lounge/kitchen area of the building Daniel was staying in Paris. Ultimately this campaign would produce the first Vogue cover and editorial feature for Daniel Alexander.

I first discussed this concept with Daniel when discussing his live couture performances in London and Paris. I was inspired from a B&W photo of Gianni Versace with his fit model at his Milano Atelier. Daniel was at first skeptical until he actually reviewed the camera previews. He loved that he would be in the background behind Franky, a face from Cameroon living in Paris I originally recommended for his live couture performances.

Model: Francoise Odette Ngoumou

Designer: Daniel Alexander

Jewelry: Dayra Cristela Testa

Nikon D850, AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-200MM f2.8D ED @ 112MM

ISO: 5000

[rudyarias]

Natalie was 13 when she was brought to the attention of my wife Marina by her friend Tatiana. Her grandmother wanted to meet and had some questions. During our initial meeting at Tatiana’s home in FT Myers, she told me Natalie’s mother was approached by a “modeling agency” at a dance competition. Her mother was told they can make Natalie a model for $6000. I told her to not pay and I’ll see what I can do.

Thursday March 5, 2016 was her first test at an Intercontinental Disney resort in Orlando. In helping Natalie develop her model identity and my introduction to my good friend Marie P. Anderson. Natalie has grown since her first test. In her tenure as a campaign face for Jenee Dione, e.Kaye, Prashant Goyal, Mihaela Panaitescu, Daniel Alexander, Sheril Patrice and Alarcon gracing covers and pages of British Vogue, Elle UK, Glamour, Vogue (Athens) Greece, Integrity Magazine UK, Rope, Eclair, GMARO, Stardust and LVM Exclusive to name a few.

Monday Sept 26, 2022 was the most hectic of my three day stay in NYC before leaving for Paris that evening. I picked up Natalie on my way to meet John Henry at the Lincoln Center. The first of two locations for my good friend Israeli based designer John Samuel Yeung’s 2023 campaign.

In this series of images, Natalie maintaining her eye toward the lens not me. Was fabulous in her walk at the Lincoln Center.

Today April 8, 2025, 550 days since the 59 remaining Hostages in Gaza have seen the light of day. John Samuel Yeung’s atelier disrupted from air raids/rocket attacks around Ra’anana, just north of Tel Aviv. Has shifted his focus from fashion to his friends who lost relatives or still in captivity since Oct, 7, 2023.

Model: Natalie Aponte

Designer: John Samuel Yeung

Stylist: John Henry Edington

Hair: Mint Moran

Nikon D850, AF Nikkor 180MM f2.8 IF-ED

ISO: 400

[rudyarias]

Monday Dec 30, 2024 was a sunny but pleasant day in Sarasota. I arrived and parked across from the Shelby Library to test Alexandra Von Kaszner. She arrived with her parents, delayed by the traffic from the start of the Festival/Carnival in Five Point Park.

In the 2 1/2 hours during the test much was spent talking to her and mother about the fashion industry and what I’ve found in shooting up and coming models. It is this misperception from the male perspective that femininity and dressing sexy are one and the same. It’s not, my eye is from a feminine perspective which draws on the sensuality/innocence of the face. It’s part of a model’s identity that makes them stand out in a sea of beauty during castings and fashion campaigns.

In this series of images, I instructed Alexandra on subtle movement after she got acclimated to my distance from her to minimize image distortion when shooting. Ultimately presenting a completely different feel from the standard “portrait” images in TFPs and local campaign images she’s done before this test.

Model: Alexandra Von Kaszner

Agency: Alexa Models

Dresser: Galina Von Kaszner

Nikon D4, AF Micro-Nikkor 200MM f4D IF-ED

ISO: 400

[rudyarias]

Sunday November 22, 2020 was a pleasant day in Duluth, Ga. Crystal Favorito, who Prashant Goyal casted for this phase of the campaign, was a rising star in the pageant world. Once we started shooting I literally had to get her acclimated to my eye, instead of being trained to be a pretzel from pageant competition. Instructing her to be herself, not realizing as she spontaneously moved, I captured her true being.

This series of three images from this campaign illustrates how her spontaneous movement brought Heritage Indian Fashions to life. Hence it’s truly about the feel that moves clothes, not the clothes themselves.

Model: Crystal Venecia Favorito

Designer: Prashant Goyal for Heritage India Fashions

MUA: Bhavna Shah

Dresser: Crystal Govindu

Photo Assistant: Mitch Gray

Nikon D850, AF-S Nikkor 300MM f4D IF-ED

ISO: 200

[rudyarias]

Wednesday Jan 19, 2023 was a sunny day. Peyton with her mom met me in the parking lot at the Jacksonville Fishing Pier in Jacksonville Beach. It was the last test I shot of Peyton after helping develop her model identity. Before moving to Sarasota April 2023.

The Pier under its final construction phase at the time. Its beach area was not busy. Peyton intuitively went straight to one of its caissons. Peyton in her black bikini was fabulous. This series of images is from the test.

Model: Peyton Gibson

Agency: ModelScout - Orlando

Stylist: John Henry Edington

Hair: Ellie Ftommel

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR @ 500MM

ISO: 400

[rudyarias]

Monday, Dec 26, 2024 was a sunny day at the Charles Hixon Park in Tampa. I arrived early, parked and waited for Judah who was stuck in traffic. Once he parked his motorcycle, started to walk around the park and city streets capturing shots.

I emphasized to Judah while shooting, instead of looking at me, look directly into the lens. Explaining looking at me is simply staring at a “beached whale on concrete”. Looking directly into the lens establishes eye contact with the viewer of the image. I also explained how movement whether subtle or subconscious, is what gives an image “feel”. Something not accomplished with the onslaught of videos posted in social media.

This series of images is capturing the “feel” of this test.

Model: Judah Olugbemi

Nikon D4, AF Micro-Nikkor 200MM f4D IF-ED

ISO: 640

[rudyarias]

Today is the third season. Daniel Alexander will present his collection during Paris Fashion Week. Among his invited guests Ms. Gillian Bird, the Australian Ambassador to France.

France Feature

Aug 2024

Wednesday May 16, 2024 was a sunny but cool day in Paris. We just returned from London the day before after two Live Couture performances there. In discussions with Daniel on shooting something different from the photo shoots he had in the past. We ventured out exploring the neighborhood of his Airbnb. The intend was to use the neighborhood as a background in shooting Daniel during that day in the 15th Arrondissement.

This second cover image of Daniel is from that shoot.

Designer: Daniel Alexander

Photography: Rudy Arias

Nikon D850, AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-70MM f2.8G ED @ 48MM

ISO: 100

[rudyarias]

This was the second model test I shot since moving to Sarasota. Considering the extreme heat wave that began in June to subside at the beginning of September. It was a comfortable beautiful sunny day that Thursday afternoon September 2023.

This series of images were shot with her sitting on a chair across from the Children’s Museum. Alivia quickly took my instructions in being herself. Shooting from a distance, farther than photographers she shot with before.

Model: Alivia Bienz

Nikon D4, AF Nikkor 180MM f2.8 IF-ED

ISO: 200 — at Tampa's Childrens Museum.

[rudyarias]

April 30th, 2023 was a sunny Sunday afternoon. A little under two weeks after finishing the move from Jacksonville to Sarasota. It’s been a long time since shooting Sofia in model tests, campaigns for fashion designers Jenee Dionne and eKaye.

Sofia got into her zone letting the wind play with her hair, enjoying the breeze with subtle movement as I shot this series.

Model: Sofia Garlini

Nikon D4, AF-S 300MM f4D IF-ED

ISO: 400

[rudyarias]

It was a cool but sunny afternoon that Sunday Oct 27, 2024 in West Palm Beach. This was one model test that may have not happen. Lea Ariel, an Israeli model asked if I would consider shooting a test when she arrived in Miami. It literally took three weeks before she text confirmation, her flight to Miami was given clearance by the IDF. The airlines flying into and out of Israel are constantly shot at by rockets from the terrorists.

This series of images from this test were shot at Palm Beach Gardens.

Model: Lea Ariel

Nikon D4, AF Nikkor 180MM f2.8 IF-ED

ISO: 400

[rudyarias]

It was a cool but sunny Thursday May 9, 2024 in Paris. Bahaar Chawla an Indian Fashion designer. Asked if I would shoot a test of her when in Paris mid last month. I agreed knowing she was a former model and was featured in LVM Exclusive’s Sept 2024 issue. I with Daniel Alexander and Michel Rosio met Bahaar at Le Cafe Pume in the 1st arrondissement.

This series of images were shot at an outside table of the cafe. The streets of Paris easily inspire my eye.

Fashion Designer: Bahaar Chawla

Nikon D850, AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-70MM f2.8G ED @58MM

ISO: 100

[rudyarias]

LVM Exclusive

VOL XII | March 2024

Saturday Feb 3, 2024, day three of this published editorial campaign shoot. A vibrant sunny day in Boca Grande. An island key in Lee County. I did not realize it would be packed with wedding photographers shooting bridal parties on Banyan street. Despite having photo permits, I waited for one photographer to finish before shooting. Then taking breaks for the other photographers to get their bridal party shots. Meanwhile Lucy just finished with Natalie’s make up who went to wait in her car.

I instantly rotated my monopod to shoot this series of images. Natalie sitting on the edge of the driver seat, annoyed with the sun blaring into her eyes while waiting.

Model: Natalie Aponte

Designer: Sheril P Hughes for Sheril Patrice

Jewelry: Donna Moody Gray

Shoes: Tiffany Wingo

Stylist: John Henry Edington

MUA: Lucia Hernandez

Hair: Mint Morant

Nikon D850, AF Nikkor 300MM f4 IF-ED

ISO: 400

[rudyarias]

Sunday Jan 24, 2021, was a beautiful sunny Sunday at Lover’s Key State Park in Southwest Florida. At Pearl’s request, this test was for her book. We just finished shooting the first of the two Heritage Indian Fashions campaigns Saturday.

This series of images are from a location which made her nervous at first because of the heavy vegetation. Pearl was confident in not letting it bother her once I started shooting.

Model: Pearl Doiphode

[rudyarias]

The problem living in Florida is every beach images I’ve reviewed in the FB Florida photog/model groups were without a “feel” but as a portrait.

Hannah expressed wanting to do a test at the beach. I went with it for this concept exercise at Fort De Soto Beach. I chose that beach location because it reminded me of Malta. Which when I was there shooting an editorial campaign April 2024. One of the park rangers when he asked why I chose that segment of beach as one of the locations used in that campaign, acknowledged as he was in Malta when in the Navy.

The images published were of Hannah without any make up just enjoying the vibe from the ruins. Hence the GMARO editor loving it to publish them raw.

Model: Hannah Sivik

Label: GQF Swimwear

Stylist: John Henry Edington

[rudyarias]

Thursday July 25, 2024 was a now typical hot sunny day in Sarasota. Azaleah came down to Sarasota for this look book for Alarcon.

I met Erika, Juli and Azaleah at the corner of Orange and Ringling, aesthetically closer to the urban feel I’m accustomed. Road construction in front of the Post Office on Ringling provided street parking on the side of the old Federal building. Azaleah who I’ve tested and shot on campaigns knew my eye prefers movement over a model expecting to be made onto a pretzel. It’s why I only recommend Faces familiar with my eye. I normally will test an unfamiliar Face selected by my client at least twice before shooting the campaign.

This series of images were shot on a lamp post in front of the old Federal building on Orange Street.

Model: Azaleah Simone

Designer: Erika Alarcon for Alarcon

Dresser: Juli Benavides

Nikon D850, AF Nikkor 300MM f4 IF-ED

ISO: 400