I’ve thought long and hard on this topic. BRAND. Ever since I started “Dirty Cheese Photography” nearly a year ago I was uneasy with the name. I didn’t know how people would react in the photography world. In the graphic design world it worked well and liberal/quirky brands can keep you away from the pack. But the more and more I got into photography the more I realized that even though people knew that I ran a brand “Stinky Cheese” or “Cheese Photography”, they knew my by my name CLAY COOK. I wanted clients, I wanted longstanding clients and people that cared about me and wouldn’t be embarrassed about their photographer or the brand. So about two months ago, I decided to take my business to an entirely new level and re-brand to a more conservative “Clay Cook | Photography”. I may be thrown into the heap of a million photographers looking to make a mark, but upon doing more research, in the photography world, your name is your brand, regardless of your legal company name. Joey L, Annie Leibovitz, Jasmine Starr, Nigel Barker, their names are their brand. With all of this on the table I knew I needed to do something BIG, something that would hopefully blow some minds and take me in the right direction. Market and gain traffic.

Watching the 007 film; Dr. No and seeing Honey Ryder walk out from the ocean on to the beach one evening gave me the huge push and inspiration I needed. Always being a loyal fan of the James Bond films and the iconic roles that women play in them, I just had to exploit that concept. All original characters, all original stories, almost like being in their own James Bond film but the images would solely surround them, not James Bond. These ideas spawned “Bond Girl - A Portrait Series”.

I went on a quest to find some of the best collective group of models and shoot every weekend for a month and a half. Concepts, hair, makeup and wardrobe we’re all pre-determined. Scooter Ray, Chris Miske, Nick Kreevich and myself worked long hours to capture the essence of “007” with a edgy twist. 9 shoots later, a lot of ideas and friendships had been built! 

I really couldn’t of done it without the patience and grace of Scooter Ray and my awesome crew Chris Miske and Nick Kreevich. Thanks to apologue writer Alex Ruidiaz and all the stunning models I had the pleasure of working with. So here we go, to kick off the Bond Girl series is Zora Von Sachs and Alaska Macks played beautifully by Ashley Rose and Armina Krgo.