09/02/2026
The Secret of a Life Well Lived: Always surround yourself with colorful people.
Stephanie and I go back a ways, and I always love working with her - she’s the real-deal MUA Mama.
This was a project that’s been bubbling on the back of the stove for a while. I did AJ’s headshots a couple of years back, and I pitched an idea to him to do a sci-fi centric shoot with him as a cyborg type figure. Not fully understanding the implications, he said yes. So I called Stephanie and we ordered a bunch of prosthetics, dusted off the lasers and projectors and finally pulled it together.
Camera gear: Everything shot on one lens - Nikon Z9 50mm F1.2
Lighting: Clearly without adult supervision, I employed multiple continuous lights - Wescott Flex 1 x 2 LED Key RHS front for AJ’s face, Broncolor F160 Edge LHS back for backlighting, F160 RHS back with red/violet gel for backdrop, Godox Bi600 4x4 LED panel for fill positioned directly behind the photographer. One collimated Nanlite Forza 720 focused on mylar foil floor, and bounced as a pattern onto backdrop. And finally a 2.5W programmable laser beamed onto mylar floor in a dynamic pattern and bounced onto AJ and the backdrop.
Model: AJ Clay (Aj Clay)
Creative Direction & MUA:
Stephanie Anderson (Stephanie Anderson)
Cere Surreal (Cere Sureal)
*No AI was harmed in the making of this image*
*AJ was not required to lose a leg to participate in the shoot*
*Most fun I’ve had with my clothes on this year*
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