Margi DeMatteo for The Alumni Project (Studio Alumni Edition)

Margi is a former associate from my Watch Factory Shops studio back in '04-'05. She is a photographer and graduate of Hallmark School of Photography in MA. We met when she was working as a studio photographer at Printko, a local lab I used to use for 35mm film processing. She came to work with me as an assistant for location shoots and post production, and helped out with my son Spencer who was with me at the studio for the first six months after his birth. One of the wildest experiences Margi and I have had together happened while she was still working for Printko. She also works as a model, and asked to do a night shoot in New Haven with me. On March 20th, 2003 we were shooting around the sculptures in the plaza of the Federal Building when a number of police came over and asked a bunch of questions, checked our IDs and then told us the United States had just begun the war in Iraq and the Federal Building was going into a lockdown.

I photographed her wedding with a few of her photographer friends which was a total blast. Margi later went on with her photography and also became an Executive with a cosmetics company as well. We reunited earlier this year when she invited me to shoot her 40th birthday party - denim attire only. We hadn't seen each other in seventeen years, but it's like there was never a gap in time. She has a healthy love of all things denim and still has that modeling fire. We recently shot a denim editorial together while I was at her place helping set up her new photography home studio. I'm proud of the professional businesswoman she has become and still in awe of her boundless energy and free spirit. She gave me some background of her life before we met and worked together, and her journey to where she is now. Buckle your seatbelts.

"After Hallmark I chased a boyfriend I met at school and moved into his hometown way upstate in Massena, NY (basically Canada), where the two of us both shot for Lifetouch.  Yeah, school portraits in a remote area.  Probably the worst job of my life and every week there was a breakout of lice and the children weren’t allowed to have combs. I’ll never forget that. It didn’t work out with the boyfriend so I moved back home. I landed a gig at Printko in the portrait studio.  That's where I met you and Italo Centore.  Italo got me into shooting bands. I left Printko, worked with you at your studio and married the drummer in the band Green Inside. You know because you shot the wedding lol (Epic)

I switched gears in 2007 and found my passion and interest started in cosmetics. My epiphany was on set assisting photographer Kvon Beypour in Florida for Burt’s Bees.  I was intrigued by the makeup artist looking so bad ass with her belt in the jungle, touching up a lip and powdering a forehead. I thought to myself, "I want to fucking do that", as I stood there sweating to death with a giant reflector in my hand which wasn’t so glamorous.

So I did it. I went to Brio in Hamden for makeup school. I then called my friend D’Amico from Hallmark who was running Milk Studios in NYC and he set me up with celebrity makeup artist Scott Barnes and I assisted him for a few years.

A photographer for Mehron Cosmetics took me to a make-up show and then Fashion week as and assistant. I also volunteered to model for the Mehron show. I knew I wanted to work for the company and was hired by the Marketing/Creative Director Stephanie Koutikos as trade show manager and photographer. Always looking for opportunity, I found gig freelancing for another company on craigslist. I interviewed and was hired on the spot.

I climbed the ladder from freelancer and ended up leaving Mehron for full time opportunity with another company.  I went from freelancer to specialist, Junior Account to Field Executive now ten plus years later.

Now I do the makeup and shoot together on set and in my free time I love to do my own makeup styling and model.  One day I will start a pet photography business.  I have four dogs and a sick passion for all things denim."