Here lies a photography graveyard of sorts. Not so much a cutting room floor—we're digital, obviously, so everything ends up neatly organized on endless drives—but a similar concept. None of these shots got published even though I love them (to make a good story, you've got to learn how to edit). But this is the internet, which means there's no page limit, and plenty of room to publish the outtakes as their own story. Here are some of my favorites, along with a little background on each shoot.

Montana Cox** Shot April 2, 2015

***Montana Cox’s Pixie: Just Add Water*

Montana had the most beautiful pixie cut that she really just hated. It was fascinating that she could look so good to me (or anyone) and still not be happy with it herself. She came to the office with it completely gelled back, and we shot for a bit (that's what you see here) before I finally said, “Hey, I think we can make this better.” We went to the bathroom and washed it out and from that came the post you see up on the site now. What I like about this is how polished she looks—the perfect hair, the very crisp outfit, and those piercing blue eyes.

S** arah Brannon

**** Shot April 7, 2015

***Sarah Brannon’s Unbreakable Bangs*

This is Sarah's signature smoky eye, created with a blended out Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in (Stone) Fox. It didn't make sense in the final story since it was all about her hair, which is pretty bold on it's own. It's a beautiful makeup look though, right? Very severe, maybe not most girl's idea of a spring or summer look, but an important one to have in your arsenal.

Jing Wen

** Shot April 9, 2015

***Nude Lipstick Is for Everyone*

When it comes to cosmetics, and photographing them, black and white doesn't really make any sense. But B&W photos do have a place in terms of a model's and a photographer's repetoire. Sometimes I miss them when shooting for ITG. I played with this photo in B&W particularly because taking the color out of it changes it so drastically—and I think makes it stronger. Jing's freckles look even better here. I like that this is less about the lipstick or any makeup she's wearing but more about her beauty.

Crystal Renn

** Shot April 12, 2015

***Crystal Renn After Dark*

Crystal's After Dark was a trip. We got to hang for a good long time during hair and makeup—things were really relaxed. Once her team was finished, we only had a few minutes to shoot before her car arrived to take her to the Save Venice Masquerade Ball. All the shots of her final look in the story were taken in the hallway on the way to the elevator, inside the elevator, and then a few in the lobby. This was like the last shot, outside right before she hopped in her car—it's a little more dramatic than the rest of the photos but I think it shows the beauty look quite well.

Daphne Groeneveld

** Shot May 8, 2015

***The Look: Daphne In Tom Ford*

We shot this at Daphne's apartment. I was feeling super inspired by Elaine Constantine and Matthias Vriens—they shoot a lot with 'fill flash,' mixing bright sun with bright on-camera flash for a very surreal effect. That's what I was going for here. I especially liked Daphne's platinum hair against the bright blue sky. Tom Ford's Lip Color Sheer in Skinny Dip looks fantastic here as well.

Stina Olsson

** Shot June 1, 2015

***What To Do With Felt Tip Eyeliner*

So sometimes before we cast a story, we might do a 'go see,' which is sort of what you see on America's Next Top Model but much less dramatic. A model stops by, she brings her book + cards, and you get to sit and meet. Sometimes I'll snap a few photos while they're in—this is one of those. Stina was the perfect girl for the story we did on colorful liners but damnit if people don't deserve to see her amazing face sans pops of graphic makeup. Also, her brow shape deserves a moment.

Bhumika Arora

** Shot June 8, 2015

***The Beauty Look At Stella McCartney Resort*

I shot this on the street before the Stella McCartney Resort Show 2015. For some reason, I was worried I might not get my press pass, so I was trying to make do with models outside the venue. Luckily for me Bhumika Arora was hanging around on the sidewalk with casting director James Scully, her hair and makeup all finished. These kind of shots give me hope—like, if for some reason I never got another press pass to shoot backstage at Fashion Week, my life wouldn't be completely over. I could just do what I did when I first moved to the city and wander around outside the shows and photograph everyone on the street.

Isabella Peschardt

** Shot July 1, 2015

***A Very Early Preview Of Fall Trends*

This isn't just an outtake—it's a behind the scenes outtake (ooooh). Isabella arrived to the shoot with her hair curly, but looser than what Neil Grupp gave her for the final photos. He rick-racked Isa's hair around these pins and then set them with heat and left them in for a few minutes. The final result was beautiful, but the process itself made for interesting shots on it's own I think.

Gabby Westbrook

Shot July 22, 2015

80's Hair Now

This is a good example of natural light vs. flash what tone that sets. We do a lot with bright flash on ITG, but I often shoot both ways for options. While the flash feels very crisp and shiny, the window light photos tell a different story. In this case, they make the hair texture here look more romantic. I also think it makes Gabby look a little like Isabelle Adjani.

Héloïse Guérin

** Shot August 4, 2015

***The Beach & Blush—That’s It*

There are so many outtakes I'm fond of from this shoot—it's nice when you go somewhere beautiful and have a lovely day to then create something out of it. You also end up being very attached to the end product. This shot is not very conceptual or high-brow looking, but I love Héloïse's expression and the way this softer light makes the blush look.

—Tom Newton

Photographed by the author.