Karen O Inspired Fashion Shoot
Last summer, I had the rare opportunity to photograph the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in both San Francisco and New York City—and at their final New York show, I stepped in as their official photographer. Shooting a hometown performance for one of my all-time favorite bands carried a different kind of weight.
After covering earlier shows, I came prepared. I studied their stage rhythm, memorized lighting shifts, and mapped out key moments in each song so I could approach the performance with intention—different angles, different band members, different energy. This tour felt distinct. With the addition of a string section, the band reimagined staples like “Maps” and “Zero” with a slower, more cinematic intensity, while still delivering fan favorites like “Hysteric,” “Runaway,” and “Despair.” The production leaned more orchestral, more restrained. Some of the chaotic, high-energy stage rituals frontwoman Karen O is known for were notably absent.
Except one.
At that final show, she unexpectedly brought back the iconic water-spitting moment early in the performance. And I missed it.
No one anticipated it—not even the band—but that didn’t soften the blow. I obsessed over that missed frame for weeks. Instead of letting it sit unfinished in my mind, I did what creatives do: I built a shoot around it.
Inspired by Karen O’s bold stage presence and longtime collaborator Christian Joy—whose abstract silhouettes and electric color palettes have become synonymous with the band’s visual identity—we pulled together a scrappy but heartfelt tribute. With a modest budget and a lot of imagination, my lighting assistant and creative right hand, Max, helped fabricate looks that nodded to her most iconic eras. Cyndal stepped in to model, bringing a natural ease that allowed me to focus fully on composition and light. Elysa returned for makeup and graciously took on hair when our original stylist fell through.
In an empty studio, I worked to recreate a softened version of stage lighting—dramatic but intimate, controlled but alive. It was a long day, layered with experimentation and risk. And yes, we finally captured that water-spitting frame.
Maybe next time I’ll get it live. But this time, we made it ours.
