Over the course of 2019, I devoted a large portion of time to photographing a personal project, a first in over eight years. I put together this page to share the series in full with you, as well as some behind-the-scenes content and more information about the series.
I couldn’t have brought this vision of mine to life without the incredibly talented and devoted team that I collaborated with, so I want to start this off by crediting everyone.
Photography + Art Direction: Lexi Shapiro/POSE PGH (That’s me!)
Wardrobe: Suz Pisano/Sparkle Studio
Makeup: Karma Lama
Wigs: Bebe Beretta
Hair Styling + Additional Wig Styling: Tori Bivins
Assistant: Lisa Seligman
Here’s the series, henny…
Purse first!
Miss Vaaaaaanjie!
This is the dawning of the Age of Aquaria!
A Star Is Born!
I get so emotional, baby!
Come through, plaid-itude!
HIEEEE!
Soak it up!
Барбара, пожалуйста!
I didn't come to play, I came to slay!
OHHH HONEY!
When in doubt, freak 'em out!
(Lil’ Sharon’s Ouija planchette headpiece is made by Fab Hatters)
We're all born naked and the rest is drag!
About the series…
I adore the drag queen community and what RuPaul's Drag Race has done for them. Not only is drag an incredible art form, but it also embraces a group of people that for decades society has deemed as marginalized outcasts or "less than" and enables them to really celebrate themselves as unique individuals. I think that that message is really something we need to be instilling in our children: it's okay to be you, it's okay to be "different," you are loved. This is also a major tenet of my philosophy when working with the children whose portraits I photograph. I want to help build their self-confidence and to nurture their ability to treasure their differences. Additionally, children are not inherently intolerant, and any sort of prejudice or hatred is a learned behavior or attitude, which is why these principles are all the more important to introduce to them early on in their development and to reinforce continually.
The drag community and ballroom scene have their own vernacular. A “legendary child” is an up-and-coming queen, one that the community sees a great deal of potential in and supports in their growth. I believe that, in this regard, all of our children are “legendary children,” and it is our responsibility as a society to treat them as such. In the spirit of this, “Our Legendary Children” is a series of portraits of children dressed in adorable, miniaturized recreations of iconic and recognizable looks from the queens of RuPaul's Drag Race. It is celebration of love, both self-love and love of others, in its purest, most adorable form.
Everybody say “love!”
About me…
Hello, hello, hello! I’m Lexi Shapiro. I’m a portrait photographer and I run my own luxury children’s portrait studio, POSE PGH. I photograph children in a distinctive way, with an editorial stylishness and a heavy emphasis on capturing their authentic spirit in their portraits. In my work with children, I put a great deal of effort into being equal parts photographer, mentor, and cheerleader. Getting to know them on a much deeper level than other photographers may endeavor to do enables me to celebrate and uplift them for the things that make them unique and for the core fragments of their identities, the bits that shape who they are and will become as they grow older. I found my true passion and calling in working with children. I’m also a huge ally of the LGBTQ+ community and an outspoken advocate. Creating this series gave me the opportunity to merge my life’s passion with a passion project and to create something that I am so incredibly proud of, and I’m beyond grateful that you’ve taken a few moments out of your day to stop by and check it out.
Behind the Scenes
