Artist Michael Carson for LUXE
This is work from so long ago, I had actually forgotten about it. In November of 2023 (yes, over a year ago!) I was hired to photograph Phoenix-based artist Michael Carson for LUXE Interiors + Design. I had been waiting for this to publish and completely forgot about it until recently. Turns out it ran last April!
The job was to make some portraits of Michael in his home studio, as well as some photos of him working and details of his paintings. I was informed that preliminary scouting photos sent by Michael showed a small bar and a bathroom also in the studio space, and asked if I could please find ways to avoid showing those. While I probably would have naturally been inclined to avoid showcasing the restroom, the warning about the bar was valid; I likely would have spent a great deal of energy including it. It was cool! Just a little corner of the room, but alas, not on brand for a magazine that focuses on high-end interior design I suppose. (Nobody said anything about avoiding the disco ball, though!)
Carson was incredibly easy to work with and gave me a ton of his time, despite having a show opening that weekend. Overall, this was an ideal assignment for me: Portrait work with plenty of time to become familiar with the subject, challenges and parameters to work around, and a location with floor to ceiling sliding glass and window light everywhere.
Highlight for me was probably seeing Matt Berninger’s first solo album, Serpentine Prison, sitting off to the side in the studio and thinking, “Oh nice, I have that record too,” before my brain slowly came to the realization that was Carson’s art adorning it.