Queen Underwood, now at the 2012 Olypics

Cover photo for Seattle Woman Magazine of two-time lightweight US champion Quanitta "Queen" Underwood. I did this for the June 2011 edition. Queen, a Seattle native, is now in London and will be competing in the Olympics. Good luck, Queen!

My site.

Cover Shot: Megan Griffiths, Film Director

Writer and director Megan Griffiths.

From Left to Right are Off Hours Producers Mischa Jakupcak, Joy Saez, Megan Griffiths and Lacey Leavitt.

Megan with the three women she brought together to produce The Off Hours, a new indie film starring Alicia Silverstone and Aidan Quinn.

Ingrid did this shoot at Randy’s Restaurant, an all-night diner on Seattle's E. Marginal Way and the primary set for the film. It's often frequented by test pilots and crew from nearby Boeing Field and well worth the quick detour off I-5.

My Main Site

Cover Shot: Luly Yang

Luly Yang for Seattle Woman Magazine

Luly is Seattle's top designer for bridal and evening gowns and just won the Nellie Cashmann Award as the Business Owner of the Year. She has an exquisite store full of sparkle on 4th and University Street.

I was very much looking forward to this photo shoot, though, like all of them, this one had its challenges. There was no time to meet Luly beforehand or to check out the location. Also, I unfortunately missed her amazing fashion show a week before the shoot, because I was still in Germany.

Karen, the editor of Seattle woman, was there with me and started with the interview. It's a different thing, the atmosphere of an interview and the atmosphere of a shoot. The first one is words and so an act of expression. What I do is something else: a feeling or mood at least is allowed to enter and, with patience, a fundamental quality of the person or situation comes to light.

For me it's important that the person to be photographed is fully present and part of the photographic dialog. That, of course, includes myself. I had probably still a little bit of jet lag and realized that I did not fully arrive yet in my surroundings. There is this interesting mixture in a photo portrait session, the need to be active and push things forward, to be in control. At the same time, you need to be receptive and open, aware so you see what is falling in your lap. Suddenly something hits you, a certain constellation of body posture in relation to the surroundings, a certain something in the eyes, a fleeting moment... Letting go is required, on the side of the person to be photographed as well as on the side of the photographer, if the real beauty is to come out.

Luly is a charming and graceful woman. What impressed me strongly is how she combines a child-like playful enthusiasm and joy about colors and shapes along with a strong business sense. In the shoot, I wanted to get through this business consciousness and was waiting for something that really spoke to me and exited me, and woke me up.



We got there, I feel. Luly was patient and went through the choreography of the shoot with me without complaint. Suddenly, after hard work, it was there. A certain mystery, an expression that you cannot pin down, knowing eyes, strength and softness at the same time, a Mona Lisa gaze that draws you in.

Thank you, Luly, for staying with me in this.

In the end we gave each other a hug, and I had finally "arrived" back in Seattle.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

A few more that were not in the magazine that show the different sides of Luly:



A shot in between shots of an exuberant young woman...




...and the queen who reigns over her empire.

My Main Site

Pepper Schwartz at WBE

You have the chance to see and hear Pepper Schwartz, who I recently photographed, talking about her book Prime. She will be at the Women's Business Exchange Breakfast on this coming Thursday morning, that is, October 11th, 2007.

The Women's Business Exchange is one of Seattle's largest networking organizations. Each month on the 2nd Thursday they have the breakfast meeting from 7 to 9am at the Washington Athletic Club downtown.

I still remember the first time I went to a breakfast around 4 years ago. I was impressed by seeing ca. 150 business women buzzing around. The air was full of sparkle and energy. Everything seemed possible.

. . . . . . . . . .

Here again is the picture of Pepper Schwartz for the cover, this time without the text:


I love the light on the wall. It was not easy to find the right spot to take the photos in and around her house. We looked at everything, Pepper's horse stable, the beautiful garden and rooms in the house. In spite of being beautiful, it all did not seem to be the right spot. So many things have to come together: the light, the colors, not distracting from the person, working for the cover and the text position, and in the end, it has to give the person the right "frame" and make them feel comfortable. All of this will affect the position of the body and the expressions.

I finally decided for this small spot in the kitchen. The warm yellow color and the streams of light seemed to be the right background for Pepper. I felt it connected with her ability to enjoy the moment, being exuberant and glowing from inside.

The dog who peeks in on the bottom of the picture contributed to the fun as well. Meanwhile her other big dog was lying on the opposite side under my tripod and between my feet. They wanted to take part too.

By the way, the cherries in the other picture were just there, we were eating them. They tasted so good. No bigger meaning, I just liked the little splash of red color...

My Main Site

Cover Shot: Pepper Schwartz

I was away for a while, in Germany. Some good photos came from this trip, and I will put them up later. Meanwhile, I did these photos of Dr. Pepper Schwartz for an article in Seattle Woman Magazine:



They did an especially great job on the layout this time. The one below was used for the article inside:



Seattle Woman is a print magazine, but you can also download the latest issue here.

I did them at her ranch, about an hour's drive from Seattle. A beautiful place inside and out. Pepper raises horses there, but is more widely known as a sociology professor at the University of Washington and now as the author of Prime.

My Main Site

Cover Shot: Laura Love

Laura Love Cover

Cover I did for September 2007 Seattle Woman Magazine. Laura is a wonderfully unique singer and musician.

My Main Site

Cover Shot: Ashley Lodree

This is Ashley Lodree, an amazing athlete. I photographed her for the cover of Seattle Woman Magazine in July. Not sure why the faint lines are there; they appeared when I downloaded the online version. I wanted to show the cover as it was laid out. This July edition is no longer available, but the latest one can be downloaded and is usually displayed in the upper left corner at Seattle Woman Magazine's site . I did the cover for the August issue as well.

[ETA: at least for now, the July issue can still be downloaded directly from this link . <-Fixed this link and some other things on 8/30/07]

I have to say that I am not really a sports photographer, and I don't know a lot about sports or the well known outstanding sports VIPs, but there was something special about her that touched me very much. When I worked on the photo I did of her in post production on the computer, where she is on the starting track looking into the camera with her hands on the ground, I could not stop looking. I think it was the combination of the softness in her eyes and the strength that showed in her arms that moved me so much. I think for the first time, consciously, I saw the commitment to reach a goal in her body. I had a glimpse at it, what it can mean for somebody to make a decision and then to follow up on it and not to give up.

You can see her beautiful soft eyes also in the close up:



This shot, made just a moment after starting, shows what a good athlete she is:



In the moment where she collects all her strength to push forward and get out of the blocks, it looks nearly as if she is flying forward without investing her own energy: yet her face is totally relaxed, nearly as if she is surrendering to another force which would carry her.

[ETA: Some of the photos here are not always showing up, perhaps from being viewed too many times on Flickr. Will see what we can do to resolve this. 8/30/07]

My Main Site

Cover Shot: Organic Farm in Indianola, WA

So much happened since the last entry. I hope to catch up.

Here is the new and current cover I did for Seattle Woman:


Rebecca Slattery, with farm apprentice, Sonya Servine and the chickens.

Done at Persephone Farm, Indianola, WA.

It was very interesting to see the farm owners and their apprentices working with their hands. I realized that in my mind I picture farm work with big machines. It's comforting to see that the appreciation of hands on work, the direct contact with the earth still exists. It will effect the quality of the food we eat, that's the belief of Rebecca and her business partner who own and run this beautiful place.

My Main Site

Cover Shot: Lynne Barker and Lucia Athens

Here is the new Seattle Woman Magazine cover for April.



This photo shoot felt like a little adventure. Lynne Barker and Lucia Athens are both from the Green Building Program of the Seattle Department of Planning and Development. I did not have a chance to meet them before. When I waited for them at the City Hall, two woman walked towards me, looking at me. Then one said, "Are you Ingrid" and I realized these were Lucia and Lynne. Somehow I expected some 'outdoor' types. We laughed and Lynn said "Did we not fit your stereotype?" A little bit true.

We decided City Hall did not really work for the shoot and Lynne suggested the Municipal Court building on the other side of the street. It had a beautiful green opaque wall installation with water in front of it. This gave me a boost of energy.



I loved the green wall with Lucia and Lynne outfits. The black was great and the silver geometrical jewelry corresponded to the metal elements in the wall design. But it was hard to get it all to work. The sun was extreme, there was wind which blew over my reflector stand, the time was limited - this was Lucia and Lynne's lunch break - no assistant to hold the reflector, and the space with the pool in front did not seem to have "easy" spots for them to be. But in the end it all worked out: Lucia and Lynn were up to everything and had a lot of fun, a young man who worked in the building helped hold the reflector, we found the 'perfect' spot to stand, and the clouds showed just in the right moment, to cover the merciless early afternoon sun.

This is what I love about the shoots: in the beginning you have all these elements they are disparate and problematic and then, after just jumping in with trust and the willingness to bear it, all falls into place.

. . . . . . .

You can also download the whole April issue here, but only for a while. It’s available in print form at many locations around Seattle, of course, and many of the their past articles are available for reading in text form from their site as well.

My Main Site

Seattle Woman Magazine Cover Shot: At the Spa

Here is my latest Seattle Woman cover. It's out now:



Always a little (positive) shock for me to discover the new issue, when it has my cover on it. It's exiting to see how the picture turned out in printing, after I looked at it for such a long time on my computer and worked to bringing out the best in it.

I think it came out really beautiful. A little lighter than expected, but that adds to the atmosphere of being in the spa, as if a little mist. And her skin looks radiant and glowing.

We did the photo shoot at Olympus Spa in Lynnwood on a Sunday, when the spa is closed to the public. Having the whole place by ourselves was such a luxury. (Thanks you again, Sun!) I wish I could have jumped just into the water.

When I went some days before the shoot, just to check out the location, I was very touched, walking through and seeing all the woman. There was something beautiful about seeing all the women, having space for themselves, being "good” to themselves. Nearly like a secret society.

Of course, the place is not a secret. A good friend of mine, Patty, is a big fan of this spa. Recently I met her and I commented on her beautiful face and relaxed expression. She smiled at me and said, like a little secret she would share "I spend a day at the Olympus Spa." I definitely have to go there just for myself, maybe with a girl friend.

The shoot went smooth. Erin Skipley, the make up artist, did a great job with what needed to be a natural make up look. It's just very nice to work with her and she does everything to bring out the features in the best way.

Michelle Marshal from the Seattle Model Guild was our model. It was great to work with her, and it's not just about the beautiful face. We all know that, I think, but it so much easier when there is a dialog and a cooperation and the model brings in variations of moods and expressions, gestures and postures. When we looked at many pictures and model cards, we decided for her, because of her warm eyes and connecting smile. It really came out in the photos.

. . . . . . .

You can also download the whole March issue here, but only for a while. It’s available in print form at many locations around Seattle, of course.

My Main Site

BeadsforLife Cover for Seattle Woman Magazine

Devin Hibbard of BeadsForLife

My first entry...

A cover I shot recently for Seattle Woman Magazine. This is Devin Hibbard of BeadsForLife, a nonprofit organization that helps women in the Third World help themselves. You can download the entire copy of this print magazine from here. It changes every month, of course, but I often do the covers and some inside work.

. . . . . . .

ETA on Sept 2, 2007: The issue with the story on Devin Hibbard and BeadsForLife is still available directly from this unposted link, but I don't know for how long.

. . . . . . .

Another photo from inside the same issue: this one I made of Angela Blackburn for an article on daughters who take care of their parents.

My Main Site