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A behind-the-scenes photography blog chronicling the creative process by Kwaku Alston

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Tag: Essence magazine

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Behind the Scenes Black Hollywood with Essence Magazine

February 17, 2014 by kwakualston

Behind the scenes lighting setup and breakdown        Oprah’s glam team           2013 ended with one of the most exciting jobs of the year: photographing the much anticipated Essence Hollywood Issue featuring Oprah Winfrey, Forest Whitaker, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Michael B Jordan.  Essence’s editors and these legendary thespians met me in Los Angeles, where we constructed a beautiful set to capture the energy and excitement of an epic year at the movies.  Enjoy these special behind the scenes moments.  Thank you […]

Categories: Behind the Scenes, Editorial • Tags: behind the scenes, black hollywood, Celebrity, celebrity photography, editorial, essence, essence hollywood, essence hollywood issue, Essence magazine, forest whitaker, hollywood, michael b jordan, michael jordan, oprah, oprah winfrey, time lapse

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Janelle Monae Film

August 22, 2013 by kwakualston

  This is a film I created while on set with Essence Magazine for the Janelle Monae cover story, and am excited to announce it is finally live on my website!

Categories: Editorial • Tags: art of studio, behind the scenes, Essence magazine, fashion, fashion sotry, film story, janelle monae, janelle monae film, kwaku alston, photography

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Oprah & Tyler Perry for Essence – 30 Minutes & 36 Hours

May 21, 2013 by kwakualston

   Behind the Scenes…. Ready to light! Thanks to Morel Rental House for helping everything run smoothly! Sunset from the plane. My LA Photo crew hustling to get home in the airport. No Mondays are mundane when you’re in the creative industry–and on New York time.  On a particularly chilly March morning, Essence magazine’s photo director Rebecca Karamehmedovic called me with an exciting assignment–photographing two media moguls who hold the reins to Hollywood and the entertainment industry: Oprah and Tyler […]

Categories: Behind the Scenes, Editorial • Tags: art of studio, behind the scenes, editorial, Essence magazine, kwaku alston, oprah, oprah and tyler perry, photography, travel, tyler perry

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Janelle Monae for Essence Magazine: 2 Shoots, 1 mission

April 12, 2013 by kwakualston

Janelle Monae on the Horizon. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with various musical talent including Lauryn Hill, Santana, Kanye West, and Willie Nelson, all who brought an open collaborative energy to each shoot, baring their soul to t…

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: california, Essence magazine, fashion photography, janelle monae, photography

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Behind the Scenes with LL Cool J

March 24, 2013 by kwakualston

I never thought I would be “going back to Cali” after my extended love affair with NYC, but here I am, and doing what I love most: making photographs. And in a way, LL has been there for me since the beginning of my career. I vividly remember the …

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: 8x10, behind the scenes, Essence magazine, LL Cool J, todd james

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Obama

June 4, 2012 by kwakualston

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: barack obama, Essence magazine, obama, president, USA

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Kwaku Alston’s behind the scenes look at the Michelle Obama, First Lady portrait session

September 14, 2011 by kwakualston

I believe one of the most essential things photographers, or any artist, should consider is the concept of challenge, that time when our accomplishments bring to our lives something that will test us to the fullest degree. This often leads to a ma…

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: behind the scenes, Essence magazine, First Lady of the United States, FLOTUS, kwaku alston, Michelle Obama, obama, Photo Shoot, Politics

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Kwaku Alston’s behind the scenes look at the Michelle Obama, First Lady portrait session

September 14, 2011 by kwakualston

I believe one of the most essential things photographers, or any artist, should consider is the concept of challenge, that time when our accomplishments bring to our lives something that will test us to the fullest degree. This often leads to a ma…

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: behind the scenes, Essence magazine, First Lady of the United States, FLOTUS, kwaku alston, Michelle Obama, obama, Photo Shoot, Politics

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