A trend started by Vogue magazine USA has spread the globe. That trend is to put celebrities on the cover. Vogue found that celebrities sold more magazines than models did. But when you're in the Middle East, and you put Robert Downey Jr. on the cover, most people won't recognize him. Marwan Nuqul, the owner of 5 Amman car dealerships, is more recognizable. Marwan comes from one of the wealthiest families in Jordan who made their fortune in paper products: We ask for a Kleenex, in the Middle East they ask for a Fine. Marwan is the black sheep of the family, and to the delight of his father, has built a very profitable automotive empire. I really wanted to shoot this cover shot with a ring light, but I don't own one. The closest I could come was a Speedlite with a Honeycomb grid about 2 feet from his face, and an umbrella camera left cranked way down to fill in the shadows. This set-up gave me the wrap-around look I wanted, but produced some unwanted shadows that were removed in Photoshop. Looking forward to shooting more of these in the months to come.
