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Author and editorial portraits  - Boston, MA | New England

Perceptive portraits of acclaimed writers, thinkers, and visionaries
  • Home
  • Author and editorial portraits
  • Commissioned commercial portraits
  • Projects
    • Boston Authors Project
    • Martial arts portraits
    • Dance = movement + story
    • Therapeutic photography
  • Information
    • About Sharona Jacobs
    • Kind words and client interviews
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Client and publications list
    • COVID-19 policies
    • Writer's Digest article
    • #iamwriting podcast #theheadshot interview
    • Tiffinbox interview
    • Boston Voyager interview
  • Blog
  • Contact

Sharona Jacobs Photography Blog

Here you'll find my newest professional projects and portraits, client and colleague interviews, and even updates on my personal project work with the occasional editorial ramblings of my .02.


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Portrait of Rachel Nolan, a historian of modern Latin America and an Assistant Professor at Boston University Pardee School of Global Studies. Her research focuses on political violence, Central American civil wars, childhood and the family, historic
Portrait of Rachel Nolan, a historian of modern Latin America and an Assistant Professor at Boston University Pardee School of Global Studies. Her research focuses on political violence, Central American civil wars, childhood and the family, historical memory, and U.S.-Latin American relations. She is currently completing a book manuscript on the history of international adoption from Guatemala (set for publication by Harvard University Press in 2024). #bostonauthorphoto #historianportrait #author #bostonuniversityhistory
Portraits by Sharona Jacobs, literary portrait photographer, of Holly Black, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy novels, including the Novels of Elfhame, THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN, the Spiderwick Chronicles, and her adult debut, BO
Portraits by Sharona Jacobs, literary portrait photographer, of Holly Black, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy novels, including the Novels of Elfhame, THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN, the Spiderwick Chronicles, and her adult debut, BOOK OF NIGHT. She is the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor and her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. In this portrait sitting, Holly was photographed at Hammond Castle, Gloucester, Massachusetts. MUA: Kerri Herlihy. Assistant: Tim Lavallee. Media manager: Traci Olsen. @blackholly #authorphoto #bostonauthorphoto #authorportrait #fantasyauthor @tricksybelden @boston.makeup.artist
Portraits of fantasy author, Cassandra Clare, by literary portrait photographer, Sharona Jacobs. Cassandra is the author of the #1 New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Mortal Instruments series and the Inf
Portraits of fantasy author, Cassandra Clare, by literary portrait photographer, Sharona Jacobs. Cassandra is the author of the #1 New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Mortal Instruments series and the Infernal Devices trilogy, and coauthor of the Bane Chronicles with Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson. She also wrote The Shadowhunter’s Codex with her husband, Joshua Lewis. Her books have more than 36 million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. For this portrait sitting, which took place in the author’s writing area, a steampunk-inspired converted barn adorned with art by local artists as well as an imported British phone booth and apothecary counter, the author was looking for elegant and fantastical portraits that were colorful and creative inspired by a dark academia look. Makeup: @lizwashermakeup Hair: @michelleanne_hairdesign. Assistant: Tim LaVallee. With thanks to @Tricksy Belden, publicist extraordinaire, for her logistical support. . . . . . #fantasyauthor #cassandraclare #authorportrait #authorphoto #bostonauthorphoto #author #writing

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Sharing a compliment
about 7 years ago
Instagram for updates, and more!
about 7 years ago
Portraits of British writer and jazz musician, Dominic Green
about 8 years ago

Writer and jazz musician, Dominic Green, was one of the most delightful people I've had the good fortune to photograph – a mix of self-deprecating good humor, wickedly keen intelligence (he studied English Literature at St. John's College, Oxford), and a fount of wonderful anecdotes about his theater-bred family and colorful musician friends.

Portraits of Jackie VanderBrug, author of Gender Lens Investing
about 8 years ago
Mystery writer portraits, New England chapter
about 8 years ago

Fresh Tweets:

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    Feb 15, 2023, 2:30 PM
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    Portrait studio renovations…complete(ish). @ Boston, Massachusetts https://t.co/bIPzsW78ln
    Nov 14, 2022, 2:40 PM

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Why I photograph authors

March 12, 2015 in Boston Authors, Personal

Today, I learned about the passing of one of my favorite authors, Terry Pratchett, from a particularly nasty variant of Alzheimer's Disease. When I heard that he had died, I felt the loss keenly, in that particularly odd way that feels both deeply personal, and somewhat bizarre, given that I hadn't really known the man in the here-and-now sense of the word. I had been reading Sir Pratchett's books since I was an adolescent, and since he was an extremely prolific author, I avidly consumed his new work nearly every year, as excited to get my hands on his new hardback novel as others my age were to go to the hippest of concerts or shows.  So much of a person goes into writing a book; there is a reason that writers sometimes call their books their children. In that sense, I felt I knew Terry, or at least his wry outlook, quite well. Witty, insightful, and wise, Terry's work was not only an escape, but also an entry into the sharp observations of a brilliant satirist that helped me see everyday life through a wiser pair of eyes. good-omens1

Mr. Pratchett's work, as well as countless others, informed the way I saw the world; as a small girl I was terribly shy, and felt at least as tied to the characters I met in stories as I did in everyday life. In my early childhood, I shared a room with my eldest sister who was profoundly affected by Down's Syndrome and associated medical conditions, and I wanted some answers about life from day one. Books became my portal to understanding, or at least the first glimmers of it. From C.S. Lewis to Anne Frank, Lewis Carroll and P.G. Wodehouse, it was in the act of reading that I became a keen observer of people and their stream of thoughts and emotions. I learned strength and transformation from the stories of Frances Hodgson Burnett, courage from L.M. Montgomery, and history from Sydney Taylor. When I struggled with understanding human nature (Pratchett), or finding meaning in the chaos of growing up (Viktor Frankl and Elie Wiesel), I delved into a book, both for solace and for answers.

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As I grew older, I used my camera to explore human nature, and still later did my graduate work in counseling psychology, to find more answers. But it all started with losing myself in the printed page. As a photographer, we're told in schools and seminars to photograph what you know. We are to ask ourselves, "What brings meaning into your life? What draws you in, and what transforms you?" So for me, choosing my preferred subjects was just a matter of looking for my own axis. And it was also a way of saying thank you for all the wisdom I'd gained from my childhood idols (thank you Madeline L'Engle, Willo Davis Rogers, Robert Heinlein), to the written voices that instructed me on how to counsel (Carl Rogers, Aaron Beck), and to those that brought me a smile when the day had been awful and I simply needed a good yarn to regain my faith in humanity (Neil Gaiman and Pratchett, Good Omens). Now, reading aloud to my own daughter allows me to transfer that love and knowledge to the next generation (J.K. Rowling, thank you for many warm evenings of sharing your magic with my family, each of them chiming in with their own take on your beloved characters).

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Now that I've been photographing authors for about five years, I can also tell you that authors, as a group, are a joy to partner with - people of substance, with rich inner lives, often wickedly funny. Many of them (but certainly not all) have an introverted sensibility which I bond with, because the challenge I most enjoy is bringing the insides of complex personalities to the forefront of an image. It is such a privilege to have the opportunity to work with a some of the great minds that are creating today's stories - many of whom I have, or will create visual stories about in this blog in the months to come.

So, perhaps this is my love letter to the storytellers, as well as my explanation for why I do what I do. Thank you, especially, to Sir Terry Pratchett, for your legacy. You, and your stories, will be so missed.

 

 

 Image credit: Terry Pratchett photographed by Chris Balcombe

Tags: author, Boston author photography, Personal, Terry Pratchett
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sharona@sharonaphoto.com
(617) 852-2366