Mathew McGee is a multitalented actor, singer, and writer in St. Petersburg. I met him when he was a big name in local drag entertainment, bringing his acting and singing career to life on stage. His comfort in playing whatever character his roles call for makes him dynamic on stage and a highly revered talent. According to Matthew, he never really wanted to be a drag performer but got into it following a college dance concert as Carmen Miranda. It was so well received that he continued it as part of his repertoire. One of the takeaway ideas I had from our time together is the concept of how glamorous folks think a drag performer’s life is as opposed to the reality of cramped, hot, and messy dressing rooms, closets full of wigs and dresses, and balancing schedules of his day job with performances

I photographed him several times for Creative Loafing newspaper and was familiar with his broad range. I wanted to photograph the duality of his life, both in drag and on stage. We were able to access some props from the Freefall Theater, where he currently serves as Community Outreach Director. The orchestration of this portrait was fairly simple. I photographed him looking at himself in the mirror and then sitting in drag, combing them in post. I wanted the photo to elicit self-contemplation.

Technical Information- Gear: Canon EOS 5D MK IV, Canon EF28-70 f/2.8L USM @ 35mm

Exposure: 1/200s @ f/4.5 ISO 800 Lighting: Practicals (mirror) 3 studio flashes- 1 gridded soft box camera right, 1 gridded strip box high camera left, and 1 red gelled behind rear