Alexis Bonnell for Government Executive Magazine

As I wrap up this three-part series, my third and final shoot for the latest issue of Government Executive Magazine was at the offices of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington D.C. Once Rich and I got all of my equipment through the x-ray machines and cleared through security, we met with our subject Alexis Bonnell.

While planning for the assignment, I was told that Bonnell had quite an interesting shoe collection. I wasn’t sure what to think of this, but I was anxious to see just how interesting. When we finally met Bonnell, all I could see were her shoes. HOT PINK! And not just that. They were Converse Chuck Taylors that laced all the way up to her knees. Not the style of a typical government employee, but I loved them as they really matched her personality.

With Bonnell working with technology, our thoughts for the shoot were a location that showed the development of ideas or a tech savy setting. Our first location was inside an office area with a whiteboard pillar. After a few shots, my editor and I weren’t really feeling it, so we decided to just move to our second location. The second location was in front of several neon lights that went well with her pink shoes and pink sweater. Here, Bonnell even seemed more comfortable and relaxed, which always makes a portrait look so much better!

In the end, it was decided that the boots were a bit too loud for the article, so Government Executive Magazine opted to go with the horizontal shot. Either way, I’m pleased with how the shoot turned out, and it was great having the opportunity to meet and work with Bonnell.