Andrea Sertoli, Select Italy founder and president

After a month’s work– Select Italy’s website has a new look.  This was a super-fun shoot that included every type of photography I could hope for in one complex project– corporate, environmental, family, and executive portraiture.

Select Italy is a company that tailors highly detailed and personal travel itineraries to those who want to see the Italy that bus tours either fly by too quickly– or don’t even stop at, at all.  You love Tuscany, opera, and castagnaccio?  They know exactly where to book you.  Its main office is in Chicago, but they also have representatives in New York City, Florence, and Shanghai.  They told me they wanted portraits of everyone in the company– and that they wanted something high contrast, crisp– and unique to their unique kind of business.  I said, I’d be right over.

The photos are now live on the Select Italy site– and one of the portraits has already been seen in the magazine, Panorama.  You can see the new portraits we worked on together (that includes all the awesome people that make Select Italy run) here: Select Italy

When they asked me to fly out to New York to begin work with them (asap)– I’d had little sleep.  But– I smilingly flew out– asap.  Via Prius.  ‘Cause who could jam 300 lbs of equipment into the overhead?  And besides– the Speedotron beauty dish hasn’t a dent and was not to be thrown into the hold.

It was a wind-in-the-hair couple of days.  There were traffic jams, tornado warnings (in Ohio), parking tickets– and a whole lot of lighting equipment.  I always bring everything, because I know that if I leave one thing at home– that’s exactly the first thing I’ll reach for.

What was most impressive about working with these guys– and this is no hyperbole– was that I felt like I’d known them for a long time.  In NYC, Andrea Sertoli (founder and president of the company) welcomed me with a warm smile, strong handshake– and a hot cup of espresso.  And, for the two days I was there– I had everything I could possibly need.  And the view from the 7th floor Soho loft (which serves as both Andrea’s home and Select Italy’s NYC office) was a very happy one.

I even– happily– got on the elevator.  (I can hear you laughing, all of you who know me)

In Chicago– it was the same thing.  Warm welcomes, big smiles– and a sense that I was– pardon the hackneyed phrase– at home.  A special thanks to Misha Medvedev for making my work that much more enjoyable.

Thanks to Andrea and everyone in NYC, Shanghai, and Chicago.  You guys are awesome.

And now– I’m thinking of finally visiting family in Modena.

I’ll ship the beauty dish…