When I photographed Tanzania model Herieth Paul she was just breaking out of the Canadian market, having been featured in Elle Canada as the next Naomi Campbell. Herieth has a long list of achievements since our shoot…..including Italian Vogue and appearances in the Victoria Secrets Fashion Show. Her choice as the face of Maybelline surely inspired many young women in an age when boundaries are breaking down.
In my career I have photographed hundreds of models, actors and entertainers. I have always enjoyed my contributions to their success. My first ever published images were in Playboy magazine for a feature on Shannon Tweed that helped launch her career. Getting to the top of the fame game is not for the weak of heart.
I am including Herieth in this series for a different reason that most would suspect. Over the years I have seen famous people rise and fall…models who let their success go to their heads and singers who would not return my emails once they hit LA.
Herieth Paul is here simply because not only is she a winner, but she is….nice. I can only imagine that she inherited and learned that skill from her mother, a Tanzanian diplomat in Ottawa. In a world where competitive pressures can turn people mean…those who can hold tight to their own values will always succeed.
(Kudos to my friend Angie at AMTI for spotting a winner)