Like many from the swing dance community, I knew Jerry Almonte via his stunning photography and thoughtful blog/public Facebook page before I met him in real life.

My roommate, Holly, was already good friends with him and he had a standing invitation to stay at our place whenever he wished to visit Baltimore/Mobtown. Getting to know Jerry over meals and spending time with him off the dance floor has made me appreciate his art and the human behind them even more.

I asked timidly if he would want to do a photo shoot with me, but did not want to impose on his time. So imagined how thrilled I was when we both found ourselves with a few hours to kill, he asked if I wanted to do a quick shoot. He only had is camera and we’d have to work with natural light… so of course I said yes!

I had absolutely nothing planned in terms of what I would wear, what poses I could do, etc. So after a few minutes of hemming and hawing (and aware that natural light was not unlimited) I picked my favorite skirt/shirt combination, added a matching flower, put on matching red shoes and I was suddenly a modern Little Red Riding Hood.

Working with artists, whether as contributor, financier, or subject, is always an interesting experience. Jerry, however, is a joy to work with, always willing to go with an idea but knows when to keep pushing something for the better shot.

I had a blast working with him and I’m beyond humbled that he offered to photograph me. Thanks Jerry! These are absolutely stunning.