I love photographing weddings and starry-eyed couples but sometimes it’s fun to break things up with something a little different.
Two summers ago the editor of Zooey Magazine contacted me about photographing Grimm star, Claire Coffee, for an upcoming interview about Claire’s work on the show and her life in Portland, Oregon. Without a second thought, I immediately said “YES!” to the job.
Claire and I met on a decidedly chilly but bright Portland day and got to know each other while browsing the treasure troves of Hippo Hardware. Up until this time I had not seen her show but it was fun to watch as Hippo employees recognized their visitor and posed for portraits. Claire was exceedingly kind and gracious and made a wonderful first impression on all of us, no surprise there!
I learned that she loves vintage furniture and we gushed a little over her sofa project, a midcentury frame that she was in the process of refinishing and reupholstering. I was amazed at how beautiful and complete her home felt after only two weeks living within its walls, and was impressed with her and her husband’s vast book and liquor collection. She made coffee and studied for an upcoming episode of Grimm as I wandered around her home discovering treasures and drool worthy custom furniture projects.
After a few hours together it was time for me to say goodbye and I reluctantly made my way back to my own apartment across town. The Zooey Magazine article was published and I eventually became a big fan of Grimm where Claire plays a woman totally opposite from herself, a witch with some serious mommy issues. The images sat on my hard drive until now, one more treasure I kept for myself a little too long.
View the Zooey Magazine interview with Claire here | The Day With Claire Coffee
