Having Your Photo Used

I can take pictures all day, but until someone uses them they aren't worth much.  One of my favorite things about being a photographer is seeing your photos used.  It is always rewarding when you get to see one of your images in print or on a website.

A photo of mine that was recently put into use in a simple manner was for Ethan Hutchinson, a furniture designer.  I originally photographed Ethan for Luxe Magazine and he contacted me after the shoot to see if he could use the photos.  The magazine always has exclusive use for a period of time, but after that expired we touched base again.  I let him use the photo in exchange for a model release allowing me to use the photos.  This was mutually beneficial because it gave me stock photography to use of a furniture designer in his workshop.  Not what I typically have in my stock library.

He used the photo on his new web site...

First Fashionable Four Makeover!

We completed our first Fashionable Four makeover this past week.  April was our first client and was great to work with.  She is a mom with two young kids and part-time nurse that runs marathons for fun.  She hates shopping for clothes and always comes home with nothing and felt like she lost the sense of style she had when she was younger.  Her husband gave her the gift of Milena's image consulting services and she volunteered to be our first makeover subject. 

The greatest thing about if for me was to see the incredible change in confidence and happiness you saw in her from the beginning to when we were done.  She came in for the before photos dressed like she does every day and was totally tranformed by the end.  You'll be amazed at the difference you see below!

Our kick-off event is in a week on Thursday, November 5th.  We will be offering makeover package discounts and much more!  Click here to view the full size event flyer.  Hope to see you there!

China Show Summary

Thanks to everyone that attended the China show on Friday night.  We had a great turnout with over 50 people attending over the course of a couple hours.  It was fun catching up with everyone and getting a chance to show a few of the photos from my trip. 

For those that weren't able to attend here is a short video clip of the show.  The photos will also be posted onto my stock website in the coming weeks.

Milena Joy at the A.Line Boutique in Landmark

Milena Joy, an image consultant in Denver, asked me to take photos for her marketing.  I've known Milena for a couple years and initially worked with her when I photographed her wedding in Mexico.

This was the second shoot I've done for her consulting business and she is always great to work with.  She is really comfortable with the camera and posing, which makes my job much easier.  She had set up the shoot at a clothing store in Landmark, the A.Line Boutique.  It was a great location that gave us multiple backgrounds choices to choose from.

Milena came ready with a bunch of clothing choices and freshly done hair and makeup. I had Josh, my intern, constantly moving lights as we moved from one setup to the next.  Overall it was a fun shoot and I think we got some good stuff.

On a side note, we are working on putting a makeover package with Milena consulting on clothing, hair stylist Stanley Thompson of Matthew Morris Salon, and makeup artist Donna Kelly.  Clients will initially go shopping with Milena to purchase a new wardrobe.  Then on the big day they will get hair, makeup and then a photo shoot to capture them at their best.  It is a great gift for yourself or somebody else.  Watch for details about a launch party we are having in November.

Enjoy the photos from my shoot with Milena.  The first one is just a fun one showing me doing what I do.

Architectural Photography at Colorado State University

My biggest photography project of the year has been for an architecture firm based out of Charlotte, North Carolina.  The FWA Group was the lead architecture firm on a new lab on the Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Part of the reason that this is such a large project is their were five additional vendors involved.  The additional vendors include the construction company, GH Phipps, consulting firms, an artist, and another architecture firm.

The Diagnostic Medicine Center is not your typical university lab.  It is primarily used for research and has the latest and greatest in lab technology.  It is also not a typical lab building from the exterior or interior.  It has a beautiful design inside and out and strongly incorporates public art into the building.

I have driven the hour long drive to Ft. Collins four times so far for the project.  The first time was to do a walk-through with the lead architect and put together a shot list.  The second time we photographed the labs, a necropsy (where they do animal autopsies for research) and a couple other rooms.  The third time we photographed the large atrium and did some detail shots.  And finally in the fourth trip we photographed the other end of the atrium, more details and the exterior.  After all of that we still have one trip remaining in the spring to get a couple final exteriors (once the grass has grown in) and a couple rooms that weren't ready for photos yet.

For most of the shots we have lit the entire space and used a balance of our lighting and the ambient light, but for some we have had to use entirely ambient light due to the layout of the space.  This has lead to one of the biggest challenges of the project, post-production.  Because we have shot over multiple days at different times and with widely varied lighting, getting consistency between the shots has been difficult.  Ryan has done an amazing job creating consistency in color balance, contrast and brightness.

Below are a few of the final images that represent over 80 hours of photography related work.

The exterior, we will reshoot this in the spring when the grass has grown in.

The main atrium.

One of the research labs.

The atrium with the "egg" at the end.

Another research area.

The necropsy, where they do research on deceased animals.

A detail shot of the exterior.