Headshot season continues at Distant Era with a new batch for the fabulous Shellie DiSalvo! Longtime readers of The All Worlds Traveller may remember Shellie as “The Morrigan” from Distant Era’s last series, The People of Light and Shadow.
Shellie on Shellie
Shellie very helpfully provided a bio before I even had to ask (a first for The All Worlds Traveller???). Here’s the 411 on Shellie in Shellie’s very own words:
Shellie DiSalvo (she/they) is a versatile artist hailing from Chicago, with a rich background in all aspects of theatre and a passion for creative collaboration. Their extensive experience as both a stage and production manager brings a unique blend of creativity and organizational skill to every project, bridging the gap between the artistic and the administrative. Recently, Shellie has been digging back into their roots as an Interdisciplinary Artist™️—rediscovering writing, returning to slam poetry, and embracing the role of the Artist as Activist. Their diverse artistic pursuits reflect a commitment to creativity, collective equity (with a sprinkling of civil disobedience), and community. As they continue to evolve as an artist and human, Shellie remains deeply rooted in their overall role as Conduit for Chaos, grounded in praxis and the vibrant artistic community of the city. They are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate and share their artistry in all of its various forms, extending heartfelt thanks to all supporters and collaborators.
Shellie DiSalvo
Photography
Shellie and I had a great early May session. We’ve worked together tons, between doing The People of Light and Shadow and all those times Shellie assembles a shot list for an Idle Muse Theatre Company show.
We began our session with a small softbox I’ve brought back into my portraiture over the last year, a little bit of background light, a simple gray background, and a reflector (the Westcott Eye Lighter) below. After a while, I changed the main light to a large, round umbrella with diffusion. I seldom use this as a key light, but suddenly things were working for us in a way they hadn’t with the smaller softbox. We stuck with that light for the rest of the session.
Shellie brought a few different looks, which were easy to switch out. We continued to like the big light and gray background, so we continued to shoot that way throughout the session. We nearly went outside at the end, but the day was gray and rainy, and we already had a wealth of options.
When it came to selecting the portraits, Shellie really liked the three quarters look, and those made it into our final selections.
We wrapped the session in the late afternoon, and I headed off to check out Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s production of The S Paradox with some Idle Muse Theatre Company members. I photographed the poster image for the show in late December and need to remember to show it off on the Traveller sometime soon.
As always, it was wonderful working with my friend Shellie and making these fab new shots for her professional work!
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