LeBron James & SpringHill Entertainment for The Hollywood Reporter

September 21, 2018 by kwakualston

My photo crew and I arrived at an empty Warner Brothers soundstage, where a build team was unloading a box truck filled with platforms and seating to arrange for the Hollywood Reporter cover photo: a 30-35 person group shot of LeBron James’ staff from his companies SpringHill Entertainment and Uninterrupted.  Our concept for the Hollywood Reporter feature focused on LeBron’s business ventures and rise in Los Angeles.   A few days before the shoot I scouted the Warner Brothers Back […]

Categories: Uncategorized

Jon Kabat-Zinn for Experience Life Magazine

September 21, 2018 by kwakualston

  Behind the Scenes: Recent cover featuring spiritual leader Jon Kabat Zinn for Experience Life Magazine.  A wonderful day of learning about how to include mindfulness in every part of your life. Check out the article here. Thank you to Jon for your peaceful presence and our wonderful team: Creative Director: Lydia Anderson Producer: Kathy Nenneker Photo Assistants: Brittany Smith & Kate Adams Digital Tech: Sara Swaty Motion: Andy Putschoegl Wardrobe: Lisa Bae Grooming: Barbara Farman  

Categories: Uncategorized

PDN PhotoPlus Expo Speaking Engagement

August 2, 2018 by kwakualston

Please join me in New York City at the Javits Convention Center on October 25 as I share my experience on how to survive in the Wild Wild West of the photography industry. You can register here. Course details: In this Master Class, Kwaku Alston will navigate you through the essentials of surviving and thriving in a commercial photography career.  This course will cover how to present your portfolio, market to clients, build and maintain relationships, budget and make job estimates, […]

Categories: Uncategorized

Directing Comedy: David Spade

July 20, 2018 by kwakualston

    Behind the scenes photos by Victor Campos   My photos are never really humorous or conceptually funny—I tend to take a more straightforward approach to portraiture.  Be it a conceptual piece or a simple one light portrait, I prefer to let the subject bring their own personality to the photograph, offering occasional cues or direction about the attitude I want them to convey. Christian Martillo, Audible’s Creative Director, helped come up with the creative strategy to create content […]

Categories: Uncategorized

Netflix: A Great Day in Hollywood

July 10, 2018 by kwakualston

    Behind the Scenes:   I was on location in Atlanta shooting for Paramount Pictures when I got an email from Katrina Symonds of Netflix one week before the Great Day in Hollywood shoot and asked if I would be interested and my thoughts on how I would approach the project. I could feel that this was one of those assignments that would be a defining image in my career and the task at hand was huge. I put […]

Categories: Features, Uncategorized

Greg Norman: ESPN’s The Body Issue

June 29, 2018 by kwakualston

Pro Golfer Greg Norman (“The Shark”) for ESPN’s 2018 Body Issue photographed at the Medalist Village Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida.  The humidity was high, rain was looming (it poured like crazy during our pre-light), and we spotted alligators in the surrounding ponds.  It felt as if we were transported to a different world among the natural vegetation that Norman kept growing on the land. Our treatment had a wide range of concepts, from a comedic take on his […]

Categories: Uncategorized

POWER Teaser

May 23, 2018 by kwakualston

Enjoy this promo teaser from the STARZ // Power project.  Stay tuned for the rest of the campaign!

Categories: Uncategorized

Eve in Joshua Tree

May 22, 2018 by kwakualston

  Behind the Scenes: I photographed Eve for the first time in the 90s for Rolling Stone when she first hit the scene, again for People, and now for CBS Watch! Magazine in Joshua Tree.  From 125th St. in Harlem to the magical desert, Eve is as radiant as ever.  The natural and exotic environment combined with June Ambrose’s world-renowned styling was a dream come true.  The desert is as harsh as it is beautiful, and once the sun sets, […]

Categories: Behind the Scenes, Editorial, Uncategorized • Tags: cbs watch, editorial, eve, fashion

Kerry Washington

May 2, 2018 by kwakualston

Bts of a set we never got time to photograph her on: Kerry Washington has graced my lens for Essence’s new cover issue featuring 100 Woke women changing the world.  With this theme in mind, Essence’s creative team (Creative Director Rhonda Thompson and Photo Editor Tracey Woods) was inspired to photograph Kerry in black and white, a modern take on film noir.  I loved this creative direction and new source of inspiration, especially the opportunity to do a black and white cover, which […]

Categories: Uncategorized