introducing: Joseph McCrea

(Joseph McCrea is nolonger represented by Empire models... he is now unsigned)




I saw Joseph McCrea on on the network website model mayhem. I immediately saw his potential. His look is very fashion forward with little sprinkles of Brian Peters, Pierre Woods, and Wendell Lissimore all rolled into one. I contacted him and he immediately threw me off onto his agent at Empire Models. I told him if I had to go thru his agent and "tap dance" to shoot with him, someone would have to pay me. After all I had plenty of black guys in my port and I felt it unnecessary to go thru a middle man for another one.

He contacted me and we set up the shoot for the next day.



I looked at the images on Joseph in his internet profile. I was shocked. In my opinion those images that were in his portfolio were not going to help to secure him modeling jobs in this industry. I saw his potential and wanted to provide him good images that would set a higher standard for him.


above are the images that were posted on his agency website and various modeling websites that he was using as his portfolio at the time....

I tried to give him images that portray him in the best light possible. With him being one of few black guys on his agency's men's board, I wanted the images to show sides of him that put him in the same league as some of the top working male models in this business. We jokingly refer to him as "the ninja" because he's the only black guy on his agency men's roster.

He was great to work with. He is young, fresh, and very photogenic. He takes direction well and brings a lot of positive energy to my studio space. Working with Joseph makes me feel like I'm working with my little brother.




His agent was not thrilled with him working with me outside of the agency. I understand why... and it won't happen again. I hope the images we have done together has helped open doors for him.... he deserves a fair chance. Now every photographer Joseph McCrea shoots with is gonna haveta bring their "A" game.