Meet a Top Casting Director, Manager, and Photographer. Get Invited to More Auditions by Improving Your Resume. Your headshot and résumé are your calling cards. A top-shelf photographer, manager, and casting director offer advice on getting the right shot and putting together the perfect résumé. Bring your current headshots and résumé for evaluation by these experts. Jinsey Dauk, PhotographerJinsey Dauk has been a headshot photographer in NYC for 25 years. An actor and a former Ford model, she studied and then taught photography at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. She collaborated with designer Vera Wang on the book “Vera Wang on Weddings,” and her work has been featured in Modern Bride; Playbill; Back Stage; New Canaan, Darien & Rowayton Magazine; and Photo District News, as well as in galleries and private collections around the world. She has modeled in Paris, Milan, London, Hamburg, and Munich and appeared in more than 60 commercials, including Coca-Cola, Nestlé’s Quik, Red Lobster, Aquafresh, Dimetapp, Easy-Off, and Palmolive. She believes in using natural light rather than flash in order to put actors at their ease and relies on up-to-date feedback from the casting directors and managers who recommend her.

Jinsey was recently featured in an article from Backstage magazine about New York headshot photographers. It’s all in the eyes! Here in their headshots, actors Rhonda Jensen and Miguel Perez are both open, approachable, warm, and engaging. They emit a spirit, a personality, and a feeling. That’s exactly what you want in a headshot—you want the casting director to feel all that. Because I shoot with natural light and not flash, it’s easy for clients to feel more natural themselves; they are spontaneous and being, not posing. Their eyes are alive. Casting directors and agents like this because not only do the actors look like their headshots, but the CDs and agents get a sense of communication and honesty. Regarding the background, I always keep it out of focus to help the subjects become more three-dimensional, as if they’re jumping off the page. Regarding the clothing, I prefer that we keep the shot simple by going with mostly solid-colored clothing. That makes the eyes the most important thing in the shot. People feel they almost know these actors just by looking into their eyes. That’s the kind of connection to strive for in a headshot.

Jinsey recently completed a photoshoot for a New York City based psychologist, Dr. Erin Walker, who specializes in psychotherapy for individuals, couples and families. The photos will be used on her new website and needed to portray her as professional, approachable and friendly.

If you’ve ever wondered what a bee sees when he’s buried deep within the folds of a flower, surrounded by color and bemused by fragrance, then you shouldn’t miss the fine art photography of Jinsey Dauk. An artist with an eye for the smallest of sensuous details, Jinsey uses a camera to capture what’s most miraculous about life. Then she presents her vision to all of us who are hurrying past a frisson of flowers or a riot of raindrops without really seeing them at all. Jinsey’s love for photography began early. As a very young girl, when a friend of her mother’s became ill with leukemia, she picked up a Minolta camera for the first time to take pictures of the woman’s son. An innate talent for seeing the world in striking detail was quickly apparent. Jinsey captured the boy leaping with a basketball in his hands, sunlight in his eyes, and his mother posted the photos around her hospital room. Soon visitors and friends were asking who took the photos, and her career began, first by taking black and white portraits of children for whom she babysat. Fast forward a couple of decades. Jinsey spent time working as a Ford and Elite model, then launched a career as a documentary-style wedding and portrait photographer, primarily in black and white, before turning her camera toward the beauty of nature in full, glorious color. Once again, serendipity intervened in her life. She began simply, by photographing flower arrangements on the sunlit windowsills of her Tribeca apartment to thank the friends who had sent them; before long, those friends were insisting she create large-scale art pieces and offer them for sale. From that point, she branched out into shooting more than flowers, and she quickly gained a following. Today, Jinsey’s work is available as metallic prints, without frames, pressed under a quarter inch of plexiglass. Although many collectors prefer the large version, and collect them as diptychs, triptychs or quadtychs, (sometimes even as a series of six), Jinsey happily custom-sizes her pieces to fit a particular space in home, office or boutique hotels. She is also happy to work on commissioned pieces and will travel to photograph whatever a client chooses, whether it’s a beloved rose garden or another cherished item. Using macro lenses and micro filters from the 1960s and blending those techniques with today’s sophisticated digital technology is how she creates her work, but it doesn’t begin to explain her vision. She describes her first foray into photographing flowers as a journey she undertook, albeit one with camera in hand. “I traveled through those flowers and ferns and bouquets, traveled through a whole different universe. Each turn of my focusing ring was escaping into another world,” she says. “Photography changes me. It’s a private experience. I’m six foot one, but in this world I’m all scrunched down, into something the size of a thumbnail. Every single one of my senses gets touched upon when I photograph something. I hope that viewers of my work will have the same experience.” fern_01Jinsey grew up in Rowayton and Darien, Connecticut. Her mother still lives in Darien, in a matriarchal home owned first by her mother’s grandmother, then her mother’s mother, and now it belongs to her mother. Jinsey’s photographs hang in rooms that overlook Long Island Sound, next to traditional, older oil paintings that have been in the family home since the turn of the last century. “My art mixes so well with those old paintings,” Jinsey explains. Perhaps it’s the constantly shifting colors of the ocean outside the windows, or the way the light falls on the nature-infused colors of Jinsey’s work, but her photographs transcend a single definition. She’s proud to. see her work hang in offices and homes with many different styles.

Jinsey’s wedding photography has been featured in numerous National bridal publications.

Inside Edition, the long-running television newsmagazine program on CBS, presented a segment about the popularity of online dating and how some users are having professional headshot photos taken to create a more successful online profile. Jinsey is interviewed as a photographer who specializes in headshots and has taken many effective shots for numerous clients to portray them in flattering natural light and improve their chances of finding romance online.

Kim and Jim took the days before their September 15 wedding off from work. They planned to run last-minute errands, check in with their vendors, and savor the delicious anticipation of the upcoming event. On the morning of September 11, four days before the wedding, the two were watching the morning news when the scene of destruction occurring just downtown unfolded horribly before them. After two days of panic, fear, and frantic calls to the couple’s many friends who work in the financial district of Manhattan, the two realized that they had suffered an unspeakable loss. James “Jimmy” Straine Jr., a friend of Jim’s for 17 years, an employee of Cantor Fitzgerald, and a groomsman in the upcoming wedding, was among those missing. While dealing with their grief, the couple needed to deal with another issue. The wedding was in two days, and they had a decision to make: Could they, and should they, go forward with their plans to tie the knot? THE BRIDE Kimberly Magioncalda, 24, an employee at Credit Suisse First Boston in the Equity Capital Markets Group THE GROOM James O’Hoppe, 36, managing director at 360 Networks THE DATE September 15, 2001 THE SCENE Ceremony at St. Thomas More Church; reception at The Mark hotel; both on Manhattan’s Upper East Side HOW THEY MET Kim, fresh from college, was working at the Ralph Lauren store in a mansion on 72nd Street and Madison Avenue. Jim stopped in to buy a tuxedo, and Kim helped him out. “We talked for almost an hour,” laughs Kim, “about almost everything but that tuxedo.” In fact, Jim left the store with only a tuxedo shirt. But what he also left with was Kim’s phone number. THE PROPOSAL Just over one year after their first date, Jim invited Kim along to a cocktail party that didn’t actually exist. He had, in fact, stopped in at the Ralph Lauren boutique where the two had had their first fateful meeting, and asked for the staff’s help in planning a marriage proposal. On the way to the “cocktail party,” Jim lured Kim into the store by claiming that they were running early and that he needed a pair of loafers, anyway. As they walked past the manager, Jim secretly handed off the ring in its blue Tiffany box. After pretending to admire a few pairs of shoes in the nearly empty store, Jim announced it was time to go and walked past the estate jewelry counter. “Look, Kim,” he pointed out, “look at that engagement ring in the jewelry display.” Kim admired the lovely ring, and Jim asked the manager why it was there. The manager, answering Jim’s question, explained that the ring was for “a very special couple, named Kim and Jim, who had met in the store about one year ago.” Then Jim took the very surprised and delighted Kim over to a quiet corner chair, got down on one knee, and proposed marriage. Kim exclaimed an enthusiastic “yes!” and the couple turned to see the staircase behind them lined with women who worked in the store, all happily sniffling. The couple next headed for the rooftop of the Peninsula, where they shared a champagne toast with the parents of the bride-to-be. THE PLANNING “A New York city wedding is a lot to plan,” comments Kim. The couple had almost eighteen months to get things done, but they were astonished from the beginning to find many vendors already booked for their chosen date. Fortunately, they fell in love with The Mark’s lovely, intimate ballroom and were relieved to find the setting available. “We had fun doing the planning together,” explains Kim, “and Jim was a very involved groom,” helping out with pretty much everything except Kim’s dress. CHOOSING TO GO ON The tragedy of September 11 effected Kim and Jim in a very personal way. “We had many, many friends who were at the scene of the tragedy and who did get out safely,” says Kim. But the hardest thing to bear was the loss of groomsman Jimmy Straine. The bride and groom were torn between sadness and a desire to not let the tragedy ruin their plans. “Everyone said to us, ‘You can’t let anything come between the love you have for each other,'” says Jim. “Our families were very supportive from the beginning of any decision that was made.” The couple, at a terrible conflux of despair and joy and still numb from the shock of what had occurred in their city, simply felt at a loss. Kim wondered if they waited, would things only get worse? Would it be years before they could re-schedule their wedding? And, most painful of all, could they feel happiness so soon after the loss of a friend? Then Jimmy’s brother Mike called. “He said we had his support and the support of the entire Straine family, no matter what we decided to do,” says Jim. “He said, ‘I can’t imagine what you and Kim are going through.’ He just lost his brother, and he is thinking about us. That says so much about Jimmy’s family and what they are like.” The two chose to keep their wedding date. Later, Jimmy’s younger brother called and expressed how glad he was that plans for the wedding were on. “That last phone call cleared up any doubt we might have had that we had made the right choice,” says Jim. The two headed into their wedding day knowing that they would be happy and hoping that their guests could, too. THE CEREMONY To her surprise, Kim was not the least bit nervous as she started down the aisle at St. Thomas More Church on the afternoon of September 15. “Terrorists had attacked our city,” she says, “and so I was not going to get nervous about marrying the man I love.” Kim walked down the aisle with only three of her five bridesmaids, because two were unable to fly to New York. Jim, of course, was missing a groomsman in more ways than one.

The ceremony was a traditional Catholic service. The couple and priest Father John Boehning had decided to honor Jimmy Straine, and all of the other victims of the terrorist attacks, with a prayer that fell during the normal service. “We didn’t want to start or end the ceremony on a sad note,” points out Kim, “but we very much wanted to acknowledge our loss and the loss that everyone was sharing.” 

In the receiving line after the ceremony, the couple was surprised to see the familiar faces of people they knew only as acquaintances — neighbors with whom they had exchanged only brief greetings over the years. “Like most New Yorkers, we didn’t really know the people who lived in our building,” says Kim. “But we had told one person about the ceremony, and word got around. Several couples came to show their support of us.” THE PHOTOS After the service, photographer Jinsey Dauk took the wedding party to some of Manhattan’s great spots to shoot photos. Jinsey had also lost several friends and acquaintances in the attacks, and she found that it was a relief to step away from her sadness and enjoy the couple’s happiness. “My job is be supportive of these guys, whatever they decide,” says Jinsey, who had worried that it would be impossible to gain access to her downtown apartment, now off-limits, to retrieve her cameras and equipment. The wedding party stopped outside the Ralph Lauren mansion for a photo, of course. They also took pictures on the steps at the Met, and along the island on Park Avenue. Wherever they went, New Yorkers reacted with joy at the sight of a bride and groom. Old ladies hugged them, cabbies cheered, and passersby applauded. “I think everyone was just so glad to see something that was happy,” guesses Kim. THE CELEBRATION At the swank Mark Hotel, guests dined on hors d’oeuvres and then moved into the main room to dine on an appetizer of ravioli in a porcini cream sauce, a frisee salad with goat cheese and peppers, and an entree of filet mignon. There was no seating plan. “I had worked on the seating plan,” says Kim. But because flights had been cancelled and planes were grounded, only 78 of the 110 confirmed guests could attend, and the plan seemed superfluous. But the place felt full and the crowd was more upbeat than the couple had dared hope. “Everyone had been glued to the television for four days,” says Kim, “and I think this chance to dress up, come out, and celebrate was just what we all needed. It got crazy,” she laughs, “people had napkins on their heads. The men tossed Jim and my Dad into the air.” When the reception ended, a group that included the groom and the bride in her wedding gown headed for the cocktail lounge to keep celebrating. PERSPECTIVE Was the wedding different than it would have been because of what had happened in New York only four days before? It was, but not entirely in the ways that one might expect. For example, the bride’s bouquet was not the arrangement of pink roses edged with white sweet peas that she had wanted. Roses, which are not in season in September in New York, could not be delivered in the colors and varieties Kim had wanted, so the floral designer had to work with what she could find. The same was true of the tulips Kim wanted, and many other blooms. At any other time, for any bride at all, this would have been a huge disappointment. Kim points out that she simply did not care. “Before this happened, I would worry about whether it would rain on my wedding day. But after all that has happened, I could not have cared less about the weather. I had so many good friends who could not come to my wedding,” Kim explains, “but they are alive and well and that is all that matters to me now.” The bride’s parents have offered to host a one-year anniversary celebration especially for those loved ones who could not attend the wedding. THE HONEYMOON Having taken the plunge and tied the knot, the bride and groom saw no reason to change their honeymoon plans for ten days in Hawaii. They found their hotels about 30% booked, leaving plenty of room for privacy on the fabulous beaches. Kim was delighted to meet several other couples who had also just been married, and who had also found their weddings to be not only beautiful, but full of joy. The couple returned on a Thursday. On Friday, they attended a memorial service for James Straine Jr., which Jim describes as a “celebration of Jimmy’s life.” Jim was an usher at the service. –Lisa Carse of “TheKnot.com”

Have no fear, help is here! You’ve got photography questions, we’ve got the expert to answer them. JINSEY DAUK, a professional shutterbug in New York City, takes a shot at your most pressing concerns. How much pre‑wedding prep do I need to do? What kind of things should I tell my photographer before the big day? It is important that you and your photographer are on the same wavelength, so sit down with her to have what I call a creative meeting about a week before the wedding. Cover points like timing issues (how early he or she should start shooting, when you plan to take formal portraits, how long photo sessions should last, etc.); family problems (“Watch out for Uncle Bill who doesn’t quite get along with Aunt Betty,” etc.); creative ideas (interesting backgrounds, props, nostalgic or modern shots); and any details you do or do not want to highlight (an heirloom cake knife, your groom’s bald spot). You’ll feel fully prepped knowing you went over everything point by point. How can I make myself look picture perfect? How can we be sure we don’t end up with red eye in our photos? And how can I prevent that shiny look under the lights? You wouldn’t believe how many of my brides worry about this stuff. But trust me, you don’t have to! For the shiny face, that’s easy: I always carry face powder for my brides. Your photographer may not, so throw some in your purse for quick touch‑ups during the portraits. If you’re getting down on the dance floor, don’t stress that the photographer is taking candids as you sweat. In the film, you’ll probably look like you’re glowing! As for red eye, every professional photographer knows how to avoid it with lighting and special film‑that’s why they carry around all that expensive stuff. But if you end up with red eyes in your proofs tell your photographer to make sure he corrects them in any prints you select. Do we need to spring for a photographer’s assistant? Is an assistant necessary? Our photographer wants to bring one. My answer is yes! Some assistants just carry heavy equipment, which frees up the main photographer. The less grunt work, the more she can focus on getting the best photos. Sometimes a photographer will bring a shooting assistant instead, who can catch shots that the photographer might miss, or snap formal portraits while the photographer takes candids. As long as the photographer remains in control, assistants can be extremely valuable. After all, your photographer needs to be efficient, organized and quick. I’m bummed! We can’t take ceremony shots. My friends weren’t allowed to have pictures taken during the ceremony, so they had to fake the ring exchange in pictures taken afterwards. They came out so cheesy. Our officiant just told us we’ll have to do the same. What are our options? You might be surprised by what your officiant says if you ask her to bend the rules. Even if she stands firm, she might be willing to help you out by offering you options like taking shots without the flash, which some photographers prefer during those moments, or allowing the photographer to stand in an inconspicuous spot on the sidelines. But if the rules are super strict, there are ways you can keep from looking forced and strained while faking it. Don’t think of smiling and posing, think of just being and laughing. Tickle each others hands if you have to. Genuine grins make for a much more beautiful and natural photo. What if we hate our pics? What can we do after the fact if we don’t like the pictures? It depends on the caliber of the negatives You can have your photographer’s studio do some creative things with the printing like giving photos a vintage look, which can distract your eye or give an off‑centered shot an artistic feel, or airbrushing any blemishes out. And never underestimate the power of an innovative and well laid‑out album. By using different sizes and shapes of photos, you can enhance the aspects that you like and diminish those you don’t. To fill in some of the gaps, good disposable camera shots can also be incorporated. (Note: Unless your wedding is outdoors on a sunny day, always get ones with a flash‑they take the best pictures.) As another precaution, enlist a talented friend or family member to take shots during your wedding We want to be creative with our proofs What are fun things to do with our proofs after we get them? My sister’s are kept in a box, but I want to do something special. Show ’em off! Proofs or originals should be given to you in an organized manner in an album. They should be in chronological order, separated by black and whites and color shots (if you’re having both) and protected by acid‑free plastic sleeves within the books. You can turn your favorites into a collage. Laminate them and make coasters! One of my ambitious clients is covering an entire wall of her house with photos from her wedding. Reprinted from Modern Bride Magazine