A Serendipitous Encounter

I met Giovanni completely by chance ten years ago. I was having lunch with a friend in Sherman Oaks when I spotted him and something about him just stood out in the crowd. I walked up to him, introduced myself, and gave him my business card, inviting him to shoot with me if he was interested. At the time, I had no idea who he was – I just thought he had a great look. I often gave my card to potential models, but most never called back, so I wasn’t expecting much.

To my surprise, Giovanni actually reached out a few days later, and we set up a shoot at my apartment where I had turned my living room into a simple studio. During the shoot, I learned he was already working as a model and actor, which I had no clue about when I approached him. He was super nice and patient as I played around with different lighting setups. This first meeting turned into multiple shoots together and eventually a good friendship. Giovanni turned out to be this funny, goofy guy who loves martial arts and collects action figures. Even after I moved away from California, we’ve stayed in touch.