Alan J. Porter, a talented Austin writer I know, contacted me a while back because he needed updated publicity photos for his book publisher. I enjoy doing head shots, because it's a thrill to create images that go far beyond their expectations.
Among other things, Alan scripts the Pixar Cars comic book series for Boom! Studios, so I wanted to include visual references to that in his shoot. The Lightning McQueen poster in his office did the trick.
I also wanted to get some brighter, outdoor shots, to show he wasn't always cooped up in his office, writing away. Fortunately, he and his wife have a lovely rock walk/garden at their home, and I was able to use this setting to good effect.
I have to confess, though, that this final comic book page composite was my ultimate goal. When he first contacted me, I knew I wanted to do something outside of the box that would make him smile, even if it wasn't appropriate for a book jacket. Starting with an old back issue of The Flash and lots (and I do mean lots!) of trial-and-error on Photoshop, I finally came up with something I was happy with. And judging from Alan's comments, he was, too!
