Here’s some photos from a brief shoot i had on Friday with famous New York transexual Amanda Lepore for Time Out Sydney. Amanda was in town to launch a new gay club night.

This was a pretty intimidating and exciting shoot for me, not because of Amanda Lepore per se, but for the fact that she was/is David LaChapelle’s muse and subject of so many of his photographs.

While i don’t ape his style, it was discovering his work over ten years ago that first made me open my eyes to how amazing photography could be and planted the seeds of my obsession with the craft.

With Amanda i just had a brief window of time to shoot after an interview and it had to be done at the Sheraton on the Park where she was staying.

I’ve shot there before and know the walls are pretty bland, so in a technique i picked up from Cybele, i brought my own wall in the form of some strips of vintage wallpaper.

It’s a simple thing, but adds more character to a shot than a plain cream wall.

Those shots were over so quick there was a bit more time to move into a corner with a grand piano for some more pictures.

There was also some spherical lamps which were cool looking, so i got her to hold one for a couple of frames.

It was all done in about 10 minutes.

Update (7/11/09)

Amanda Lepore backstage at Disgraceland before performing

And here’s some photos of Amanda Lepore performing at the launch of Saturday F*cking Night at Disgraceland on Oxford St.

Hundreds of sweaty gay men clamour for a look at Amanda Lepore

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