My cover assignment for Fort Worth Weekly‘s coverage of the independent film Ticked Off Trannies With Knives involved shooting two performers, one director and one protester. I was able to shoot the film’s antagonist, Tom Zembrod, and protester and transgender person, Kelli Busey, in my studio. But Krystal, star of the film, and my cover subject, and Israel Luna, the film’s writer/director, had to be shot on location in Dallas.

My assistant, Amber Roark, and I met Summers at S4 in Oak Lawn at 8 p.m. We had an hour to unload, schlep the lights up a flight of stairs, set up, shoot and tear down.

Summers met us at the back entrance of the club and ushered us to the stage where we set up lights while she vanished into her dressing room to get into costume and makeup.

Fort Worth Weekly art director, Andrea Brentz, and I had discussed a cover that would be evocative of the pulp fiction novel covers of the 50s. Beyond that, Brentz gave me free rein to do whatever I wanted with the subjects. The goal with Krystal, as heroine, Bubbles Clicquot, was to depict a powerful and angry woman.

We lit Krystal with one of the Profoto 600 monolights in a 36-inch softbox as our main light. We used two blue-gelled Nikon speedlights for a rim light on her hair and left side to separate her from the dark background.

Brentz photoshopped in the blood-stained knife clutched in Summers’ right hand.

This and other images from The Robert Hart Studio are available in my searchable online archive:

I had a few minutes at the Meyerson this afternoon with Hamlisch who’s in town to promote the DSO’s pops series. Hamlisch will be conducting the series and intends to feature American composers. For Mark Lowry’s story on Hamlisch, go to TheaterJones.com.

Hamlisch, a child prodigy who attended Juilliard as a seven-year-old, is one of two humans to win The Oscar, The Emmy, The Grammy, The Tony and the Pulitzer Prize. The other is Oscar Hammerstein.

We shot in the Meyerson’s green room, which is your basic DARK space with rich mahogany-colored walls. This was going to be an interview session, which meant I’d shoot while my colleague, Mark Lowry of TheaterJones.com, asked questions. While 11 minutes might sound like a short time, anyone who works with celebrities knows it’s more than enough time to make a nice portrait.

I make it a point to arrive at least an hour early to every shoot. I like to see the space well ahead of time and set up lights, test, and correct early. Typically, I have an assistant with me to help but none of my favorites were available today, so I schlepped the gear myself–with Mark’s help.

I used a 48-inch softbox with a Profoto 600 monolight camera-right and a white tri-fold reflector camera-left, just an inch or two outside the frame. Hamlisch, 65, had been up and running since 5 a.m. and was grateful for a few minutes to sit before walking into the Mort’s foyer for a evening-long reception.

Hamlisch is ever the gentleman and a delight to work with. His face lit up when he talked about the master class he’ll teach later this month for students at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Hamlisch, the teacher, can’t wait to get in front of those kids.

This and other images from The Robert Hart Studio are available in my searchable online archive: