Reshma Saujani is the founder of Girls Who Code and the author of Brave, Not Perfect and Girls Who Code: Learn to Code and Change the World. I photographed Reshma at her New York City apartment for a cover and editorial feature for Real Woman Magazine.


The creative direction called for something bright, graphic and energetic. Working with editor Jessica Downey and creative director Peter Yates, we decided on a vibrant red backdrop that would give the portraits a strong visual presence while keeping the focus squarely on Reshma.

Photographer shooting a model in a home studio with professional lighting equipment and a red floor backdrop.

Editorial Portrait Photography


With photographs needed for both the cover and interior feature, the goal was to create enough variety from a relatively simple setup. The red seamless gave the portraits a bold, graphic look, while changes in composition, expression and framing provided the magazine with options for different layouts and uses.


Working in Reshma’s apartment also meant keeping the production compact and efficient while creating a polished studio look on location.

Woman in black blazer and leather pants posing confidently against a bold red background.
Photography crew setting up professional studio lighting equipment in a modern living room for an indoor photo shoot.
Woman in red sweatshirt and ripped jeans sits on wooden block beside brown dog against red studio backdrop.
Black and white photo of hands working at a makeup artist station with brushes and cosmetics on a table.
Black and white photo of a makeup artist applying makeup to a woman seated in a vanity chair in a modern kitchen.
Professional black and white portrait of a confident woman in a blazer, smiling with hand on chin.
Laptop screen displaying photo editing software with a portrait of a man in a plaid shirt against a red background.
Real Woman magazine winter 2025 cover featuring a smiling woman in black, with bold text reading Dare to Be Brave.
Photographer shoots woman in black outfit on red backdrop in bright studio with softbox lighting.
Smiling woman in red blazer and hoop earrings poses against red background with hand on chin.
Woman in red sweater smiling while petting a beagle dog on a dark gray couch indoors.

Editorial & Commercial Portrait Photography


For this assignment, a simple on-location setup created a range of portraits for both the magazine cover and interior feature. It’s an approach that works well for editorial and commercial assignments where the photography needs to be distinctive while working within the realities of the location and schedule.


I photograph editorial and commercial portraits for publications, agencies and companies in Philadelphia, New York and beyond.

 

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