I love shooting in Detroit. It is a wealth of texture – and not all of it grungy, although I’m a sucker for a good spraypainted wall or broken window. Sometimes Detroit gives you a stately stone and brick building, covered in a patina of moss.

I love to shoot headshot sessions for acting students in and around the school, simply because the place is so evocative – comfortable and full of memories. Just about any location can work for portraiture, but a great location happens when you love where you’re at.
I love how relaxed she is in this image! These were taken outside the Wayne State theatre scene/costume shop. Anyone who’s been in the theatre department has spent some time here, fabricating scenery, fitting costumes, and selecting props.  I love love love Samantha’s eyes, and I wanted to highlight them against the glass fronted building and afternoon sunshine.
This was one of the most beautiful fall days, and it brought out a little Detroit-style excitement. We took a short break during the shoot to speak with the resident of a nearby building who was having plumbing issues in her apartment while trying to prepare for a dinner party.

And in other news, there’s a new e-mail address for the studio. Send your questions and requests to veronica@veronicamachak.com!

Natalie is heading to Chicago this fall to persue her acting career. I am thrilled to see more Wayne Stater graduates going into the world to seek their fortunes! I suspect she’s going to make quite an impression in the Chicago theater community.

Those eyes. Wow.

Sometimes you find a chair next to a field and an abandoned building. Perhaps the chair wasn’t abandoned, though. There was an urban farm being assembled nearby. It’s really cool to see folks talking back the empty lots.

Can you believe this crazy tree is only feet from the expressway? It’s a little piece of beauty in a lot of concrete blah!

Yep. Still on the exit ramp.

Thanks, Natalie, for hanging out in the alley, standing on weird porches, and climbing trees in the name of headshots!

There are even a few bonus images on flickr. Enjoy!

Wayne State campus is a strange place, when it comes to architecture. There doesn’t seem to be a unifying theme to it, other than a bent toward more modern, boxy structures.  There is an abundance of pattern, which is really neat.

And occasionally, you find a fun little urban anachronism.

There’s a fountain and reflecting pool with huge porous boulders in it that hasn’t been filled yet for the season, so we jumped in for a few shots.

And who can resist a little sun flare/heroic angle?

Fortunately, the librarians never told us to keep it down while we were goofing off in the corner of the fourth floor.

Thanks, Brandon, for a lovely shoot, and congratulations on your (impending) graduation!