Catching up on past work….The May 2015 Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight was billed as the fight of the century. On assignment for ESPN The Magazine, I spent the day on the Las Vegas Strip with tourists in town for the fight hype. These were a few of my favorites from the day.
Three (3!)
No one was joking when they said it flies! My first born is THREE! 3!! Amazing, and I made another sweet boy since who is now nine-months. I have been using the time as best I can and not as much posting here. It’s been precious and wonderful and I’m ready to make more time to get caught up on sharing current work along the way. Please check back soon to see more! XOXO
Chef Carla Pellegrino for Vegas Magazine
I had the pleasure of photographing Chef Carla Pellegrino for the second time in a month when Vegas Magazine called for a feature on the Brazilian/Italian chef for their Chef Talk feature for the September issue. Chef has opened her second restaurant, Bacio by Carla Pellegrino, here in Las Vegas in less than a year and that’s just a piece of all this talented, smart and sexy lady has going on! Here are a few out-takes, and the tear sheet.
Zappos.com’s Tony Hsieh for American Airlines
I have photographed Tony Hsieh, the 30-something mastermind CEO of Zappos.com, quite a few times over the years working in Vegas. Still, being hired to visit the Zappos.com offices for a client makes me cheer. Tony and company are just so. much. FUN! These are definitely the cool kids.
This round American Airlines’ in-flight magazine, American Way, asked me to make portraits of Tony and shoot environmentals of the headquarter offices for a feature story for their August issue. My pleasure!
The story is a great read and fascinating tale of how doing things your own way and putting people over profits can work. If you are ever in Las Vegas, Zappos does tours! You should go check-out this company and experience the unique culture of the place. Visiting always makes me reflect on how the majority of American businesses operate. And if you’re flying American Airlines or American Eagle this month, send me a cell phone snap of my pictures in the magazine via Twitter (@tiffanybrown) and I’ll send you a surprise!
Here’s the magazine spread and a few outtakes of Tony portraits.
What Stays in Vegas – Part I
People always ask what it’s like to live in Vegas. For most people Vegas is the place you come and live big for a hot minute and then beat feet back to where you came from. However, for those of us staying in Vegas not just Friday-Saturday-Sunday, but Monday through Thursday too, it turns out that being a local puts you in a wildly diverse nucleus of people that are as talented as the strip is glitzy.
Case in point number one: Meet Anja.
Five nights a week, two shows a night, Anja balances on her head while swinging through the air on a washington trapeze, 30+ feet high over a pool of water. That among other acrobatics, aerially suspended feats and unicycling. No, she’s not a stripper. She’s a world class athlete, artist and performer. To see her perform is to see magic. She also speaks five languages, has great style and is interested in world news as much as art.
Extraordinary friends like Anja are part of what makes Las Vegas such an amazing place to call home. That, and the fact that my neighborhood gym is the size of Costco and the workout rooms are covered in neon. Oh, and whatever the craziest, most world record breaking event and celebrity dramas unfold just down the street.
Anja is from Switzerland, the daughter of a composer and a classical pianist and at 14-years-old she went to circus school. She has been performing as an acrobat in shows around the world ever since and has been the lead female character in Cirque Du Soleil’s “O” at the Bellagio since it opened in 1998.
Anja and my other Cirque friends inspire me to no end. We have dreamed up some fabulous photo ideas together over wine and T&Ts the last few years but have not had the chance to act on many of them, yet. One of my biggest excitements about making the transition to freelance is the ability to make time to experiment and play more creatively – in addition to working on other more structured personal projects.
I’m looking forward to sharing these photographic play sessions along the way. For now, meet Anja. If you visit Las Vegas it’s worth every cent to go see her and the incredible cast of “O” at the Bellagio.