Emeril Lagasse
Recently I was fortunate enough to photograph the great chef Emeril Lagasse. He was kind enough to let me do his portrait after we met on the Martha Stewart show. As with any busy personality, Emeril’s schedule is very hectic. I promised him we could make a great image in 10 minutes or less! Not sure if he believed me, but he agreed.
Knowing I promised him “10 minutes or less”, I had to come up with an idea very quickly. The day before our shoot, I stopped in a bookstore to browse (which I love to do). I passed thru the children’s section and noticed the Dr. Seuss book “Ten Apples up on Top!”. I immediately thought “let’s use tomato’s for the Emeril shoot”.
I arrived at the studio early. We actually took the photograph in one of his test kitchens in New York. Emeril was kind and gracious. I was determined to finish on time. We shot the tomato picture, which was easier than I thought. With a few minutes left, I decided to try a “dramatic” photo. Something that might make Emeril look completely different. Our stylist happened to have a great trench coat. Dark, and moody…..perfect! I don’t think anyone had any idea how the pictures would turn out. Except me!!! Sometimes a great idea is helpful when photographing a celebrity. Plan ahead. In most cases, you won’t get much time. As a photographer, sometimes you get lucky. In this case, I got TWO great images in 10 minutes. Emeril’s a great guy . I LOVE his food. I also love New Orleans. A great photographic city! Here’s both photos……..
