In July of 1991 the lady with the torch that you see at the beginning of every Columbia Pictures had a humble beginning in the living room of my New Orleans apartment, which had been converted to a small photo studio. When the amazingly talented illustrator (and friend) Michael Deas asked me to shoot reference photos for a painting, I had no idea how iconic that artwork would become.
My penchant for large soft box light modifiers was perfect for the assignment. A co-worker, Times-Picayune newspaper page designer Jenny Joseph (now a Houston muralist and mother of two) was the perfect model and the rest is history.
Looking at these image still makes me smile.
Janelle LanuzoShe’s a beauty. Hope she’ll stay as a Columbia Torch Lady forever.