PORTRAITS

I went to the industrial home of designer Rick Owens and Michele Lamy who at that point lived in an industrial commercial space across the street from Michele's restaurant in the heart of Hollywood. Although I still have the tear sheet, I can't remember what magazine gave me the assignment, but I do remember it was British. Michele Lamy is one of the most extreme eccentrics of fashion world, which is made up of eccentrics. She is best known as wife, muse and creative partner of fashion designer Rick Owens, but the French/Algerian has been a clothing designer, performer, film producer, and restaurateur. She was one of the emblematic figures of Los Angeles underground. She opened the famous cabaret-restaurant Les Deux Cafes in 1996 in a decrepit 1904 Arts and Crafts bungalow that she moved onto the parking lot on Las Palmas Avenue in Hollywood. She worked Paul Fortune to turn the old bungalow into a magical space filled with plants, a fountain, outdoor fireplace and bar and french country ambiance. From 2000 to January 2004 on Monday nights she hosted a private party called Cachet thrown by Audrey Bernstein and Apple Via. I frequented it a lot when I was living the bi-coastal life between NY & LA. It was at Les Deux Cafe where I met most of my fabulous and inspiring LA friends. And it was those fantastic nights that inspired me to move permanently from NY to LA in 2002. Between 1997 and 2003 you could find Michele in her. Michel closed Les Deux after meeting Owens through his then-boyfriend and hired him as a pattern maker for her own line, Lamy. In 2003 Michele and Rick moved to a five-story live/work mansion in the Seventh Arrondissement in Paris where Rick worked for the luxury firm Revillon.

formerly Conrad Muhammadof the Islam Nation, photographed in Halem, NY

Glamour magazine

Photographed for InStyle magazine

Writer Barbara Eherenreich at home in Arlington, Virginia

Nickey Kehoe

Portrait of staff at The Sentinel Marfa, Marfa Texas

Fashion Designer Geoffrey Beene photographed in his studio on 57th Street in New York City.

Marie Claire magazine

Mumbai, India

New York Times Magazine

I shot Jen Meyer at her father’s home in Malibu for IN STYLE magazine.

Comedian Chris Rock

Wanda Sykes backstage at the Chris Rock show photographed for Glamour magazine.

The Sentinel, Marfa, Texas Dinner Chef Evelyn Garcia

Diane Von Furstenberg photographed in her office on Washington Street in the West Village for Glamour Magazine by Deborah Jaffe. 

Joan Rivers photographed in New York City for Glamour Magazine.

The Sentinel, Marfa Texas

Nora Kirkpatrick photographed by Deborah Jaffe

L.I.T.A.

Glamour magazine

The Sentinel, Marfa Texas

Photographed for Glamour magazine

Photographed for InStyle magazine

April 4, 2016. Alexandria, Virginia. Melissa Fitzgerald is an American actress and the Senior Director of the nonprofit organization Justice For Vets. She is best known for portraying Carol Fitzpatrick on The West Wing.

I spent the day with Melissa Fitzgerald. We started out in her apartment in Alexandria, Virginia. We picked out a few outfits for her to be photographed for a story on her in The Washington Post. On this shoot, since it was for a newspaper, I worked without a team. There was no photo assistant, digital tech, hair, makeup or stylist. She had a tons of clothes to pick from and since she is also an actor she knew what would work. W then we headed a short distance away to her office at Justice For Vets where she advocates for veterans rights. I shadowed her while she had meetings and worked in her office. We ended the day at the White House and shot a quick portrait.

Owner, The Sentinel Marfa, Marfa Texas

Journalist and Press Secretary, Ron Nessen, was the first government official to host Saturday Night Live. He started out his career covering the Vietnam War for NBC News. Photographed in his home in Bethesda, MD. 

BassamFellows

Nickey Kehoe

I spent the day with the lovely Justine Bateman at my home in Los Angeles. She was knitting and crocheting. Here she wears a pair of hot pants she knit. She was beautiful and fun. We shot a lot more than what the magazine requested, but that is usually what I do.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA AUGUST 05, 2016 Victory Hall Opera rehearsal of Someone Younger (Der Rosenkavalier) on August 5, 2016. Pictured: Octavian played by Brenda Patterson (Photo by Deborah Jaffe for The Washington Post)

2019 I had a chance to spend some time with director, producer and head of Cannes Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. It was a wonderful night celebrating the ceramic tradition in Oaxaca Mexico.

Los Angeles California

Bassam Fellows

Maisie Crow

Glamour magazine

Nickey Kehoe

Street Symphony

Imitation of Christ Spring Summer 2022

Kerela, India

founder of Juicy Couture photographed for In Style magazine on Rodeo Drive

April 13, 2019 Los Angeles, CA. Artist Kathryn Andrews in and around her studio. Photographed by Deborah Jaffe

Employee, The Sentinel, Marfa, Texas

Nickey Kehoe

November 14, 2020 The Sentinel Marfa Dinner Chef Evelyn Garcia

November 14, 2020 The Sentinel Marfa Dinner Chef Evelyn Garcia

Stylist, Jessica de Ruiter, photographed at her home in Los Angeles for Domino magazine.

Stylist Jennifer Miller

Photographed for LA Confidential magazine

Street Symphony

Model Jenah Doucette

Photographed for Hamptons Magazine

I went to the Los Feliz home of Nora Kirkpatrick, actor and founding member and accordion player for the band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

Tory Grace Test

Rachel Bilson photographed in Los Angeles for In Style magazine.

The late Boxer, Joe Frazier photographed in his boxing studio in Philadelphia, PA. I went to Joe Frasier's gym to photograph his daughter Jackie Fraser for a story for Glamour magazine about Jackie Frasier against Leyla Ali in Las Vegas.

I drove from New York city with my photo assistant. We got there a little early so I decided to knock on the door and see if anyone was there. It was cold outside and I didn't see any place to hang out there while we waited for the call time. To my surprise a sleepy Joe Frazier opened the door and let us in. He was sleepy, and I assumed he had spent the night at his gym. Jackie arrived and I photographed her. I asked Joe if I could photograph him, he was quiet and shy, but I got him to pose for a few shots. He changed out of his sweats into this clean white tee shirt and brown cordauroy jacket. I could tell he was in pain. He moved slow. I felt bad for him because I could tell he was suffering.

This was my first celebrity portrait. Joan Rivers, American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer, and television host and fashion designer, arrived a few hours late to Industria Studio in New York's West Village. I was so nervous. My friend and fellow photographer James Levine helped me set up the white background and do some polaroids while we waited. To be honest, when she arrived with her daughter, Melissa, and her lap dog, I got scared. I'm sorry to say that I was a little shocked to see her without her hair and makeup. But, a few hours later, she emerged from the dressing room as the beautiful Joan Rivers we know and love. She was one of the nicest people I have ever photographed. She asked me why I was still single and wanted to set me up with a nice Jewish man. She knew exactly how to pose in front of the camera. She moved like a 1950's model. When I got to close she whipped up her arm and put her hand in front of my lens. She would control exactly how close I could shoot her. She was a lot of fun and was so kind. I photographed her with her daughter Melissa as well. It was my first celebrity portrait and one of the most memorable. In the years to come I would bump into Joan on flight from NY to LA, and backstage at Live With Regis and Kelly show. She was always super friendly and at least pretended to remember me.

Thank you to the then Creative Director, Donald Robertson and then Editor-in-Chief, Bonnie Fuller , who incidently the team behind the American version of Marie Claire magazine, for giving me a chance.

Catherine Deneuve photographed in Paris, France at Chanel fashion show 1985 with her dear friend Yves Saint Laurent, not pictured.

This was just an incredible stroke of luck! My brother, David Jaffe, who at the time was a TV cameraman for ABC NEWS gave me his press pass to the Chanel fashion show. He didn’t want to go. He also gave me his Nikon F3, one of his many cameras that he wasn’t currently using. (thank you David) When I was let into the tent since I had a press pass and a professional camera I was shown to the runway where all the other photographers were. Well, I wasn’t ready for that. From what I remember at this writing, June 25th, 2020, there were less than 1% women in the group. They were all very pushy. Every photographer was seated on his camera case, which in those days were made out of metal, like a Haliburtan suit case. I didn’t have a case. Which meant that I was too low if I sat on the floor to be able to see over the raised runway. When I knelt, I was too tall. I found out that the hard way, the fashion editors sitting in chairs behind me kept wacking me on the head with their handbags! Not fun! But, when I turned around to say “je désolée” I saw Catherine Deneuve and Yves Saint Laurent being seated and snapped this shot of her!

Photographed for Glamour magazine

I was lucky photographed Kerry Washington a few times. She was so kind and gave me as much time as I needed even though she had just gotten off the red eye from New York city and she hadn't had her her hair or makeup done. What you see here is Kerry Washington with no retouching in her natural state.

Salvatore Ferragamo campaign

On the set of Last Days of Disco by Whit Stillman

Photographed for George magazine

My studio, 227 West 29th Street, New York City. John Kennedy Jr. asked me to photograph Chris Rock for his magazine George.

Rob Thomas lead singer for the band Matchbox Twenty photographed in his home for Glamour magazine.

Photographed for Glamour magazine

I went to Liberty University to shoot Jerry Falwell for John Kennedy’s George magazine.

It was a surreal experience.

Liberty University, Lynchbugh, VA

Lake Como, Italy 2022

Photographed for The Washington Post

Model Jenah Doucette

Nick Job

Portrait of man © Deborah Jaffe © Deborah Jaffe Getty Images

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L.I.T.A.

November 14, 2020 The Sentinel Marfa Dinner Chef Evelyn Garcia

Nickey Kehoe

Painter Darryl Walsh at Band of Vices Gallery, Los Angeles

Tal