Editorial & Artistic
Portraits.
Editorial, artistic portraits at CinePaul are cinematic, character-led frames made outside the casting brief — for musicians, writers, directors, creatives, and anyone who wants a portrait with a point of view, shot at a private East Village studio on hand-painted canvas backdrops.
What an editorial portrait is
A headshot answers casting's question — who can you play. An editorial portrait answers a different one: who are you. It borrows its language from film stills and magazine features — shaped light, a considered frame, a mood that belongs to you rather than to a market. These are the images for an album cover, a book jacket, a press feature, a gallery bio, or simply a portrait made with intent.
How the session works
The approach is the same one that drives the headshot work: direction over posing. Paul trained as an actor at a Paris drama conservatory, so the session runs like a scene — a thought to play, a mood to hold — and the camera catches what lands. The studio at 203 2nd Avenue keeps it private and unhurried; the hand-painted canvas backdrops and a cinematic color grade give the frames a painterly, filmic tone you won't get from a seamless white wall.
Who books portraits
Musicians and bands ahead of a release, writers and directors who need press images, creatives building a site or a profile, and actors who want a frame beyond their submissions — see the headshot side of the studio for those. If you have a reference, a mood, or just a feeling, bring it; the look is built around you.
Portrait sessions are arranged by email — tell me what the images are for and the mood you're after, and we'll shape the session around it. You can see the studio's range in the portfolio. Book a session
How is a portrait session different from a headshot session?
A headshot session is built around casting — type, submissions, platforms. A portrait session is built around you and what the image is for: an album, a feature, a cover, a wall. The light, backdrop, and framing are freer, and the result leans editorial rather than casting-standard.
What should I bring to an editorial portrait session?
References if you have them — film stills, album art, portraits you love — and wardrobe with texture and character. If you arrive with nothing but an idea of where the images will live, that's enough; we build the look together at the studio.
How do I book a portrait session?
Email the studio with what the portraits are for, the mood you're after, and preferred dates. You'll get a plan and a quote back; a deposit holds your slot, and finished, color-graded files follow within days of the session.