Emily @ Elite
Taking a break from post production to Ichat with friends is always exciting. the screenshot above is from one my recent shoots. The model is Emily @ Elite Chicago. This was another easy going shoot.
Dominique @ Ford
last week I spent a lot of time shooting/working in Chicago. I love the windy city! Although last week there wasn’t much wind… Just hot, humid weather. I still enjoy the time spent there. Being from Michigan it helps to be able to travel form Detroit to Chicago because I have more options when it comes to the models that I am looking to work with. It really allows me to practice on different faces and connect with different people.
Overall I had a pretty busy week… Now that I am back in Michigan I can catch up on some post production before the next busy week starts. Since this is Sunday I guess that means the next busy week is actually rolling around in a few hours.
These are a few shots from a recent shoot with Dominique @ Ford Chicago. She was such an easy girl to work with. The hot humid weather kinda kept me from doing much on location during the shoot. Maybe that was just me being lazy. Either way, I think we got some decent stuff before I had to make the trip back to Michigan.
Alexis @ Affiliated Group
Last week I was back home in Michigan and was able to get 6-7 shoots done before I left for Chicago. Above are a few photos of Alexis, a model who recently signed with The Affiliated Group or of Michigan. The shoot was for her comp card.
subliminal b/w
This year I’ve been taking a lot of black and white photos with an everyday lifestyle feel. As an artist, I get tired of looking at the average model that wants to pose in every shot. Its always fun to mix things up and get a few candid shots during the shoots.
Maverick - a lone dissenter, as an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from his or her associates.
I enjoy incorporating small things in photos that most people do not take the time to notice. Its one of those things that you actually notice once you’ve studied the photo.
these are a few shots that were taken in New York.
Free.99
When someone tells you they are giving away products or a service they provide for free what is the first thing you think of? I was reading a blog post and it made me really think about the effect that free has on people. Its actually quite interesting. You have to take the time out to decide if doing jobs for the exposure is actually worth the exposure. Will you accomplish whatever it is that you are trying to accomplish by doing work free or giving out free samples? Think about it… Have you ever seen Louis Vuitton giving out free handbags? Or Mercedes giving out free S-Class models? No, they have raised the ticket on the products they provide us with and the price is one of the reasons we believe that the quality is top of the line.
But then again, is it even really free? If someone is giving you something free and in return they are asking you for your email address, is that free? To small business owners trying to reach those in the niche market they cater to something as simple as an email address can be way more important to them then giving away their products for free. That exchange may very well lead to you being one of that small business owners loyal customers. One sample, you love the quality of what it is they are selling and now you are on the mailing list and you know exactly when they are having a sale and or if they are releasing something else that you may want to try in the near future.
Often times models ask me to shoot them free of charge because they feel that this will help my portfolio. Since this is will be beneficial to both of us we will both do it free. The problem I have with that is all the model had to do was show up… Me, I have to pay for studio space, hair/makeup, camera and camera equipment. Not to mention the most important factor in the equation, time. The time that I would have to put into shooting you may be an even trade off but the long hours I would then have to spend in post production, processing and printing is just not worth shooting you free. Instead, what I prefer to do is send you my true rates which are probably a tad bit more than your local neighborhood photographers; this way you know that you are getting quality.
For the music artists that read my blog I feel for you because its alittle more difficult for you to get your name out there especially with the industry being so watered down these days. You almost have to give your music away for free in the beginning to make sure that you get maximum exposure. Either that or a damn good publicist.
