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Select Italy — portrait of a unique business

Andrea Sertoli, Select Italy founder and president

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…

 

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brave lux family portrait group buy!

brave lux family portraits

a motley bunch -- brave lux family portraits

It’s spring (feels like summer!)– so that means it’s time for family portraits.  So we invite you to sign up for the brave lux family portrait group buy!

What’s a group buy?  A bunch of families get together to say– yes, I want some family portraits for less.  What’s a family? Any two or more of you– up to all five of you! This includes a couple, a nuclear family, a person and a pooch, flat mates– or whomever you consider your family!  So– sign up to the brave lux family portrait group buy– and save a huge amount on the sitting fee.

But– how does the brave lux family portrait group buy work?!  Very simply!

Sign up at the top of the brave lux facebook page between now and Sunday March 25, 2012 at the strike of 11:59pm– and schedule your shoot for any time during the month of April– and watch the sitting fee for a single session family portrait drop as other couples and families sign up.  And– unlike other group buys– there  is no all or nothing: if 3 families sign up– 3 families receive the discount on the group buy, etc.  But– the more families, the more fun– and the less the sit’n fee.  So share this post!

Here’s the working gears of the deal:

If one couple (two people or a puppy and person), or one family sign up– the sitting fee is $250.  This is $50 off of the Single Session.

If 2 families sign up to the group buy– then the sitting fee drops to $225 for everyone in the group.

And as more families sign up…

3 families– $200

4 families– $175

5 families– $150

10 families– $100

AND– in addition– if you “like” (or have already “liked”) brave lux on facebook– you’ll get a free 8×10 print.

AND– get a free 8×10 print every time you share this post (when you sign up to the group buy– up to five shares).

10 family limit. 

Think this is a good deal?  Stop sit’n and sign up!  And– go to the brave lux facebook page, look for the post at the top that begins with the words– SIGN UP HERE– and share it with as many as you can.

For what we can do together for some traditional– or unconventional– family photos, check out our family portraits page.