Meeting Ellen was a thrill. She was a cute, petite girl of 20 years old and yet from her hands and her voice flowed incredible music, which captured your heart and touched your soul. Her audience, including me, found ourselves enamored by her talent and skilled performances.

After the photo shoot for the article, we talked about her career. She was ready to take the next step. She was rehearsing with a band and was thinking of puting out a CD. She need cover art for this her first CD. We talked about what image, general feeling, clothing, etc. would depict the musician and her music best.

I remember sitting next to her on the piano stool. She was preforming a complicted melody with her hands while carrying on a feeling and insightful conversation about her dreams. It was a level of concentration I had never witnessed before or since.

On my next visit to hear her perform, we were setting a shooting date and the project was taking shape. I don't know whether I just knew that she was destined for great things or it was the pleasure one gets when working with a nautual beauty who is comfortanle in front of the camera, but I was dying to get started.

Thus far, she had not gained her future fame. She was a little know lounge singer at this time. However the promise was so great and she had that presence which that makes a photographer's day.