So, what’s with the iguana?

Well, Cherie and her partner in Cheriefoto, Hedley Jones, shot a wedding—that’s their business, wedding and boudoir photography, and, on occasion, portraits, pets and kids, all out of the Los Angeles area. Anyway, the bride worked at a refinery complex in Long Beach that was sort of a local landmark.

“You can see it from the 405 when you’re driving south,” Hedley says.

“We’d always wanted to shoot in that area,” Cherie says. “There’s smoke and fire coming out of it...in Long Beach it’s a really big deal.”

So Cherie gets access, scouts the place and assembles the team: makeup artists, stylists, models.

“We have playdates,” she says. ‘Hey, guys, I’ve got this idea. Want to come and play with me?’ We get crazy props, crazy makeup, crazy hair.”

When an assistant tells her he’s got two iguanas, she says, “Wanna bring one?” He does, and at some point in the shoot the model picks up the iguana...and there you go. “She was so totally connected to the iguana,” Cherie says, “and the iguana was happy to be there."

The thing is, creative stuff happens when Cherie Steinberg’s dreaming up, planning and taking pictures.

One time she’s driving and sees two guys in the neighborhood walking a huge great Dane. She slows, says “Hey, can I shoot your dog?” and gives them her card. “That’s how it happens,” she says. “I see something or somebody, I get an idea and build it from there.”

Another time she meets someone who “sort of collects exotic animals” and has a ranch in Malibu. Cherie links that up with a desire to work with clothes from a designer she knows, and before you know it she’s got a collection of images that look like stills from scenes dreamed up by David Lynch.

“Well, we are in Hollywood,” Hedley says. “We love fantasy, we love pretty girls and cool clothes. We like different, we like to create a happening, and we’re able to improvise and think on the spot because we’re wedding photographers...”

“...and,” Cherie picks it up, “we’re trained to go into a location and within 30 seconds pose this girl, make great lighting for her, create a story—all that comes from our wedding training. We can walk in any place and make a cool shot. And with a little homework and planning, it becomes cooler.” Location often drives their shoots.

“Location is a big deal,” Cherie says.

“We see a location,” Hedley says, “and we file it in memory and maybe it takes a few months before we find the right subject.”

One time the subject was Nikon’s D700, and the team did the shoot in LA’s Union Station where the low-light conditions showcased one of the camera’s key capabilities.

The accuracy and versatility of the gear is a given. “We feel that the color that comes straight out of Nikon’s cameras is the best out there,” Hedley says. “We get amazingly detailed photos and dead-on exposures, so we can actually go into a shoot without thinking about those elements at all. We can improvise, change plans and know the camera’s going to perform the way we expect; it delivers the goods.”

So, are these guys having as much fun as it seems?

“Oh yes,” Hedley says.

“Whenever we do a shoot, it’s a happening,” Cherie says.

“The main business,” Hedley says, “is the weddings and boudoir photography, but...”

“...this is the candy,” Cherie says.

You can explore the range of Cherie’s imagery at her website, www.cheriefoto.com.