Katrina’s Headshots

I got a strange request in my Facebook mailbox early this morning (the title of the message was actually “Strange Request”, hehe). Katrina needed some headshots done by the end of the morning because she was going to a movie audition in Joplin, MO in the afternoon. So, we put together an emergency session and shot for about an hour or so…we shot indoors for awhile, but neither of us felt really good about where it was going, so we decided to brave the outdoors. Where it was 30 degrees out. Yeah, it was cold. I think the cold actually helped us both loosen up a bit, though, hehe. We were freezing, but I think we were both having a good time. 😉 And man, I think it was worth it. We came away with some outstanding images. 🙂 Thanks for looking me up, Katrina! 🙂 Also, it gave me my first opportunity to try out my new softbox for portraits! 😉 As usual, here are my favorites:

Retro Arcade Family Session

I had my first family photo shoot of the year this past Saturday, and it was awesome. 🙂 Part of it was shot at 1984, an 80s retro arcade in Springfield, MO…quite possibly the only arcade in the nation focused exclusively on retro games! I photographed the Petridou family, and they were great…very willing to go with a couple of my goofier ideas. 😉 Springfield had just survived it’s first recorded blizzard, also, and the temperature was finally warming up on Saturday, so we spent a little time taking some photos outside in downtown Springfield, too. Here are my favorites!

Personalized Fine Art and Pop Photography!

Hey everyone, I just wanted to announce a new service I’m offering! Personalized (aka Custom) fine art and pop photography!

See, the difficulty with decorating your home or office with photography is that finding images that strike you is often a matter of blindly stumbling across them. I’m trying to change that.

I want to create something individualized (family-ized?) that is first and foremost yours. What interests you? What do you collect? What do you play? What do you ride? What do you treasure? What inspires you? What’s your style? I want to work with you to capture an image and display it in a way that makes it your own.

The possibilities are endless. Do you play an instrument, collect shot glasses or shoes or guitars, have a fondness for seashells, ride a motorcycle or bike? Do you bake cupcakes, have a chocolate obsession, own a precious family heirloom or antique, have a favorite location or a piece of architecture that inspires you? Do you want something thought-provoking or funny, moody or jubilant? Are you looking for something expressive or abstract? Red or blue, black or white, angles or curves? Do you have a theme in mind for one room and another theme for a separate room? One huge print, or a series of smaller prints? Maybe a series of huge prints, hehe.

Let me create something with you that will make your space your own! Or let me create with you a photograph as a gift for someone else!

Here are some samples, just to get the imagination running:

Sarah and Marcus

I’ve been wanting to do a night shoot with Christmas lights for a few years, but it just seemed like the month always came and went and things didn’t work out to make it possible. That changed this month, though!

Sarah and I met at The Paul Mitchell School where she is studying to be a stylist…while she cut my hair, I was telling her about this shoot I wanted to do, and we decided to plan one with her and her husband, Marcus. I’m so glad they were game for this! The evening was about as close to perfect as you could ask for a late December night. Mid-40s, so we were able to stay outside for an hour without completely freezing…although it was getting pretty chilly by the end of the shoot. Night photography like this is a challenge (especially when you are in a little bit of a hurry to get inside where it’s warm!), but they were really friendly and easy to work with. I’m really happy with the photos we got. 🙂 Also, if you need a haircut, go see Sarah at Paul Mitchell. 😉 Anyway, here are my favorite photos from the evening!

Senior Session with Savannah Brook

I think one of the most challenging things about doing portraits of people is trying to capture at once who a person is and who they want to be. It is the tension between capturing a person as they are and making them more than they are, and finding the right mix of the two. I really feel like Savannah and I were able to find that balance tonight! So many of the photos drip with her personality…when you look at her eyes and body language, you just see *her*. But, she also let me guide and direct the process, giving me the freedom to create images that capture her in ways that people might not be used to. Hopefully people will look at these and say, ‘That is so Savannah!’ while at the same time they find themselves feeling a little bit surprised, caught off guard, thinking, ‘Wow…that is *Savannah*.’

Thanks for a great session, Savannah! 🙂

Night Shoot

A couple friends and I went out well after dark last night for a fun shoot. The humidity was stifling, but we had fun anyway, and I think we got some sweet photos. 🙂 There are different versions of the same photo here, because I just couldn’t make up my mind as to which I liked best. 😉

Another Headshot Session

I’ve been really busy shooting the last couple of weeks! It’s been great! Here are a few photos from my most recent headshot session. I couldn’t have done them without her personality shining through, though…she really engaged the camera. 🙂

Whoa! Returning with a Splash! :)

Man, it’s been a long time since my last post! I haven’t been lazy, I swear! I just finished my Master’s degree, I’ve been helping shoot weddings the last couple months, and recently I’ve done some actor’s headshots. Today was the first time in a looooooooooooooong time that I’ve been able to go out and really shoot for fun with someone! It was hot, it was humid, there were bugs to battle, but we walked away with some beautiful photos! It was kind of a trash the dress sorta session, but with a bridesmaid’s dress rather than a wedding dress. Oh, and I threw in some headshots (and other fun things) from a shoot I did recently with Allen Marsh, a well-known local actor. Hope you like them! 🙂

Oscar Night benefit for Isabel’s House

Last night I had the honor of helping photograph this Oscar Night benefit event for Isabel’s House (http://www.isabelshouse.org/) at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts…a good time was had by all (and a “better” time was had by a few who drank too much, hehe ;). One of the highlights of the evening was having an authentic Oscar that guests could hold and have their photo taken. It was really funny seeing the different personalities that came out when people got their hands on the Oscar. 🙂 This Oscar was awarded to Tom Whitlock for his song “Take My Breathe Away” featured in Top Gun. And, of course, I couldn’t resist getting a snap of myself holding the Oscar, also. 😉 The event also featured a silent auction with some pretty amazing paraphernalia, including a Bruce Springsteen guitar montage signed by all the band members, an Apocalypse Now signed movie poster, and a signed LP of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. Here are some photos. 🙂

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A few weeks ago, my friend Elisha and I got this crazy idea that we wanted to try our hand at some model photos. The last couple weeks we have been planning and plotting and shopping in order to make it happen, and last night we put the plan into action. It was a lot of fun. 🙂 We photographed in my super top secret Bat-location (otherwise known as the Missouri State University library…fyi, DON’T attempt to shoot there without permission), along with the help of my friend Chris (who is also a very talented graphic designer…www.chriswerx.com…who needs to hurry up and update his website, hehe).

Anyway, it was fun and definitely a learning experience. Here are my favorite photos from last night.