Lena Dunham 2026

The morning of the shoot, as I ate a bit of breakfast, I told myself, “Your main job today is to not panic.“ I filled up my water bottle, got in the car and drove to the studio.

From the start, I didn’t want to do this shoot. There was little to gain, and much to lose. I had photographed Lena Dunham 12 years earlier for the same client, and got a great photo, it could only go down from there.

Like the previous meetup, it was being framed as something of a fashion session. They brought in a wardrobe stylist, and a full hair and makeup team. Moodboards of fashion direction and high concept ideas were created, and of course, none of them looked like my work. I took this all as a challenge: could I step up and elevate the aesthetics of my work to meet this goal? Could I make a high concept fashion photograph that still aligned with my general aesthetic?

Let's face it, Lena Dunham may be the most innately talented person that I've ever photographed, so she's undeniable as a worthy photo subject. And, she is a fun and gracious sitter. In a sense, the high expectations of the job, and the changes in Lena‘s story, were an invitation to mix it up and make it different from last time. The result may not be better than our 2014 shoot, but it could be interesting and different in a fresh way.

I brought in my new go-to props master, Oscar Sanchez, to help me brainstorm and bring the magazine’s high concepts to life. Both grounding them within realistic expectations, and bringing to imagination to the ideas.

There was a lot of stress and anxiety building up to the shoot, so that at some point, it’s just a question of getting on set and seeing what’s possible. Lena Dunham was low-key and gracious, just as she was on our previous shoot. Why was I surprised? And she looked fantastic.

Throughout the day Lena and I checked in and had short playful conversations. Interestingly, she kept coming back to referencing her relationship with her father. Did she see me as a patriarchal figure?

I joked that she was a terrible role model for my teenage daughter, who also liked to work from bed. “I certainly can’t reference you as an example, as you’re far too successful!” Lena replied, “My father recently gave me a hard time about this, but I think that I’ve shown that the bed is an acceptable work space for me.”

Like always, I did a range of set ups, with the aim to get different wardrobe options, as well as visual variety. Despite its unpredictable variables, I was intent on shooting outside on the street. We shot at the Hudson Yards Shopping Center until we got kicked out, and then on the street adjacent to it. To get the best angle, I ended up in the middle of the road, doing my best to nail the shot before getting hit by New York traffic.

As we wrapped that shot up and headed back to the studio, Lena said to me, smiling, “My dad says that there’s no such thing as a ‘art emergency,’ but I’m inclined to disagree.“ Amen.

Top Image: Lena Dunham, photographed for The Guardian Saturday, March 14, 2026.

Second Image: In a dress by Willy Chavarria.

Third Image: Seeing red: famesick, indeed.

Bottom Image: Behind the scenes, with Oscar Sanchez and Matin Maulawizada also pictured. Photo by Ariel Pacheco.