Endure
A CrossFit photo shoot with the one and only Karli Stroud!
It has been challenging but rewarding being able to work with many sweet clients and on many personal projects during the same time period recently. I'm thankful for all of you, to be able to spend a short time together reflecting each other's passions and sharing them through portraits.
Endure is a short series portraying my cousin, Karli, a caring and humble physical therapist, CrossFit coach, and an inspiration. This series is shown as it would in a magazine spread, and quotes from Karli herself and 9:24 CrossFit coach, Pete Doan.
Thank you all who were a part of this shoot, whether in pre-production, production, or the post-production, everyone who gave feedback and simply supports these big ideas I have.
Behind the Scenes
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Senior Photos Don't Need To Be Cheesy
Why stick with traditional Senior portraits?
Senior photos. I remember the days when everyone passed around their wallet-sized prints and wrote a note on the back for each of their classmates.
I also remember at least half of the images were taken by a "quantity over quality" type studio, where they put the Senior in the same sitting position that they have for the last 340/340 Seniors. Each portrait is the same type of shot, the same tilt of the head, and about 20 variations of the same pose.
Now stop. If you're a photographer reading this, you're already frustrated, and if you're a Senior or the parent of a Senior, please pause and answer this question... Why in the world would you like to remember your/your child's last year of high school- this huge milestone of your/their lives- by these cheesy portraits that look like everyone else?
As an artist, I get bored of the same old work, whether I am the one creating the work or watching others create the same old work, I just get plain tired. And so I'm tired of Senior Portraits for what the majority of people find them to be, just another checkmark on their list before graduation; I'm tired of the redundancy and the traditional posing, lighting, the godforsaken same backgrounds that just are not natural in any world (please search "cheesy photo backdrops" for plenty of examples), and for the lack of better words- I'm tired of the lameness and the artificial, insincere personalities that Seniors are offered in these "quantity over quality" studios. Senior portraits are about YOU, the Senior, and should be personalized to your style and your interests.
Senior photos don't need to be cheesy. Senior photos should be a memorable experience and a fun way to show and record for your children, your children's children, and even for you to remember who you are here and now.
And for the record, I believe in the "QUALITY over quantity" argument of photography.
Behind the scenes
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A "Modern Antique" Project
Bringing a little life into the style of antique portraiture in these Mock Wedding portraits with color.
About a year ago, I posted this photo on Instagram..
"When I heard about The Rescued Film Project (@rescuedfilm), it reminded me of one old photo I picked up at an antique mall several months ago in Wexford, PA. There's such a wonderful mystery about a photo without names, dates, places, or knowing the photographer that saw a specific scene. Was this taken on his or her way to work? How old was the photographer? Why was he or she drawn to the moment? I encourage you, with all old photographs, to appreciate the memory and time that it holds, and not to forget the life that breathes in it, still."
With that said, I have this love for antique photos, they just make me so curious. I was inspired to "recreate" photos to mimic the style of antique portraiture. I actually shot these before I graduated. I shot these in May earlier this year. The reason I haven't shared these sooner is because I've been having a creative block with this set of images. Sometimes this happens, and I've realized that I just have to wait it out and let them become what they need to be in order to be shared. I started this project thinking I wanted to share photos that looked worn and sepia tone or black and white. But after months of working with these, I decided that other than the first image, I would leave them images in color to let them come to life. Often times when we take a look at old family photos, we put this "tone" to them and can't or don't imagine what life really looked like other than in the photo. And so, I left these images in color, with an antique wedding setting, style, and wardrobe to not forget the life that has been involved in every photo ever taken regardless of time period, and the life that breathes in it, still.
Below is a before and after, showing the extensive work in Photoshop to make the atmosphere eerie and intriguing in this specific photo.
Behind the Scenes
A very special thanks to the people who made this shoot possible...
Models: Daniel & Bethany Snoke
Wardrobe: Shiloh Leath
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On Veterans Day
Final images from my shoot inspired by Call of Duty, with behind the scenes and before and after images.
Final image from Collin's shoot used for my print portfolio.
My inspiration for this shoot originally came from Call of Duty. My brothers used to be in love with the game, and gosh darn it, their promo photos are so good. Google Image search "Call of Duty" and you will agree completely. Plus, my friend Collin has been wanting to do a shoot for quite some time using all of his airsoft gear. We did the shoot in two sessions, one at sunrise and one at sunset, which makes for a pretty long day, but the crew had a nice long break for naps between. The team included Collin Galbraith as the model, Chelsea Black and my brother Jonathan Schonauer as assistants.
Although this was a personal project inspired by a video game, on a serious note, I'd like to dedicate these images to all the Veterans that have served our country. I take every thing I have for granted on a daily basis, forgetting the freedoms that I have, thanks to the brave American troops this country has, and our Awesome God. I debated sharing these images on Veterans Day because I didn't want them to be "offensive" in any way to make military or war look "easy" or "pretty" with all the Photoshop and setting up this shoot took. And I hope that that message doesn't get passed on through the images. I want these photos to represent the soldiers as individual people and be a reminder of the incredible sacrifice they have made. It's not much, but I just want these images to say "Thank you!".
Below is a before and after, showing the extensive work in Photoshop to make the atmosphere eerie and intriguing in this specific photo.
Behind the Scenes
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Internship with Kaela Speicher: Week 8
Assisting Kaela in a modeling portfolio shoot with Jaclyn.
Over the past two months, some big changes have come about in my life. Towards the end of June, I completed finals, wrapped up everything for Portfolio Show at Heinz Field and graduated from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh with my Bachelors in Photography. Needless to say, I've had my hands full with work, which I will be sharing more about in a later post. But on another note, I'll be catching up on posts from projects and the final weeks of my internship.
First up is behind the scenes of Kaela's modeling shoot with the always stunning, Jaclyn. Jaclyn is building her modeling portfolio, so I assisted during her shoot that took place in studio, downtown Pittsburgh, and Oakland. Jaclyn had a variety of classy outfit choices, and Kaela chose the perfect looks for each location. My favorite look may be the final one with the strips of light shining through the columns. I just love that the dress mimics the columns itself. As always, I'm still impressed with Kaela's abilities to location scout for a specific look and stay organized. A skill that is so necessary when it comes to photography and working with clients.
*Also did I mention Jaclyn looks like Angelina Jolie?!
Check out Kaela's website to see more of her fashion work: Kaela Speicher Photography
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Internship with Kaela Speicher: Week 7
Behind the scenes of a men's fashion shoot in Ohio.
As a photographer, there are always locations I keep secret and in mind for future shoots, just waiting for the perfect concept to make itself known. Kaela did the same with this location in the boonies of Ohio for a men's fashion shoot. We had a great team to work together for the day: Kaela was the photographer of course, makeup by Hannah Donovan, hair by Colton DeLong, stylist Teera Doner, model Gabriel Hopkins, and I assisted.
The look Kaela was going for was, and I quote, "new age refined lumber jack, Mumford and Sons meets runway". I love that description, and lets all agree here that everyone's work nailed it for this shoot!
The day was a long one, mostly from the heat and the bugs, and a random torrential downpour, but oh such a fun one seeing this shoot come together! Plus, it was in my favorite state and we were out in the country, so I felt right at home. And lo and behold, a rainbow was across the sky as we crossed the Pennsylvania state line. Happy endings, am I right?
While assisting and fighting off bugs, I was able to capture some moments behind the scenes again. Here are some of my favorites from the day!
See Kaela's images of Gabriel over on her website: Kaela Speicher Photography. You can click the link, or click the image below to see Gabriel's gallery.
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Internship with Kaela Speicher: Week 4
Behind the scenes of Kaela's studio shoot for male modeling portfolio.
Studio sessions are oh-so enjoyable with feel-good music, a versatile area and window light to shoot in, and when you can smell donuts from the shop next door. This week, I assisted Kaela for her shoot that had several looks for a modeling portfolio, in a cute studio in the Strip District.
Watching shoots taking place from the perspective as an intern has made me realize that just slowing down, taking a step back, and breaking down what you need accomplished in a shoot, everything will (or should) flow more smoothly. Kaela has top notch organizational skills, so seeing her work is mind blowing how well everything lines up in preparation, and time wise. She shared with me her process in planning details from makeup and hair, wardrobe decisions, and replicating a specific look with clients that guided the shoot along in a functional way.
After doing some excellent reflector holding, I helped pack up the gear before looking at the images on her desktop. We went through the images and talked about why one photo could work over another, and what she may look for or what stands out in selecting an image. We also discussed ways that retouching may improve an image over another.
We also went over the importance of LinkedIn, which I have admittedly neglected my page since I was unaware of the value behind it. LinkedIn is a professional way to connect to others and businesses, reach out to them, and to research job opportunities. You are able to upload your résumé, projects, list your experience of work, awards, and so much more. My LinkedIn page is lookin' pretty nice, if I do say so myself, and you are able to view my profile here: Leah's LinkedIn Profile.
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Internship with Kaela Speicher: Week 3 (Part 1)
Three things I learned how to become more organized when it comes to client meetings, client shoots, and personal projects.
Being an artist, there's something that's wonderful and intimidating about talking to other people about your work, especially with clients. So this week, Kaela set up a client meeting, and I went along to observe what needed to be covered, and how to prepare for it. Kaela met with her client for a future shoot geared toward revamping a modeling portfolio. Goal #4 on my list of things I wanted to learn through the internship was how to keep organized and schedule shoots in an organized, step-by-step way.
It's easy to become bombarded when dealing with multiple sides of a business by yourself, while coordinating client shoots and personal projects between a model, makeup artist, hair stylist, and personal schedules. It's a necessity that I learn how to keep this balanced and keep some sanity along the way. Not only did Kaela's men's fashion shoot the previous week help address this goal, but observing a one-on-one client meeting was so beneficial to understand how to keep organized, and how to take notes about what should be planned.
I learned 3 simple steps to keep organized and your sanity from all the elements involved that must come together.
1. Prepare. After the initial interest from the client, make an inspiration board for what he or she is looking for. You can also send this collection to hair and makeup artists you will be working with, if they are involved in the shoot. Write down any questions you have for the client, and make sure you bring these questions and a pen and paper for notes. Have an ideal schedule ready to share with the client, and you can make minor changes if need be.
2. Meet. Meet with the client (cute coffee shops are the best) and come to an agreement on what you are able and are willing to do on both ends. Sign contracts and model releases for your personal records, and have a copy available for your client. Plan specific wardrobe, hair, makeup, and locations to send to the rest of your team. Mark out what needs to be done before the shoot, and schedule days to meet these goals.
3. Organize. Make up an itinerary of the day of the shoot, and go over your checklist of client needs, location, wardrobe, equipment list, then update your creative team with this itinerary. Send any updates and keep in contact with your client so everyone is on the same page.
And bam! Whoever thought something so complex could be organized in such an easy way.
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Internship with Kaela Speicher: Week 2
Behind the scenes of a men's fashion shoot with Kaela.
This week for my internship, I started off Sunday afternoon by assisting Kaela on an all day men's fashion shoot in several locations around Pittsburgh. Doran Mauldrin was the model, makeup and hair done by Hannah Donovan, and styled by Teera Doner.
Pulling ideas from the inspiration board Kaela had put together, the team brought to life the look she had envisioned. Starting with studio headshots, we went over basic lighting techniques and how to make them most effective for men and women. She even set up some shots for the recently famous "man bun" appearance.
We packed up and drove around to different locations around downtown Pittsburgh with very unique characteristics (thank you Google maps), but spots that had the most beautiful natural light. There were outfit changes between each location change to best suit the surroundings. Doran, being a fairly new model took direction from Kaela very well, and caught on very quickly to subtleties that can improve the appearance of the portrait when viewed from a camera's perspective. Through this all, I learned how to make the most flattering and most effective light in any location. I also picked up on ways to pose male models, because let's face it, it's a challenging thing to do.
The shoot also enforced why it's so important to work with other creatives. When a photographer is busy worrying about if a shirt is wrinkled, the makeup is showing to much shine, or there needs to be a reflector to fill the shadows, it can be overwhelming and exhausting to continue to compose the shot and direct the model, and expect to get exactly what you're looking for. Having others who specialize in each area to work with will make an overall more impactful and more professional outcome of the photograph you are wanting. Period.
In my time outside of class and shoots, I have been working on my retouching skills, one photo at a time. Patience is a must-have when it comes to retouching, but it is well worth it with the final image. My hopes are to use these things I've learned while working with Kaela and apply them to portfolio for graduation, and the time to follow.
While assisting, I made sure to get behind the scenes photos to share. Below are some of my favorites.
And here are a few of Kaela's images she released early. See more of her work on her website: kaelaspeicher.com.
Live by faith & share through fotos.
Internship with Kaela Speicher
An overview of my upcoming quarter interning with Pittsburgh photographer, Kaela Speicher.
Photo by Kaela Speicher
Yesterday afternoon I had the opportunity to meet with Kaela Speicher, a highly talented photographer based in Pittsburgh, PA with a passion in her styled fashion photography. Her personal work shows her many skills ranging from envisioning a shoot stylistically to the final retouching in post-production. I met with Kaela to finalize working as an intern with her my final quarter at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, going over schedules, itinerary, and goals for this exciting opportunity.
When I first saw Kaela's work, I was very interested in her editing style; her retouching is so clean and hides the many hours of post-production in its natural appearance. Looking at her work, you can see the eye she has not only for each shot itself, but for the vision, styling, and location scouting that comes along with each shoot. Even though there is so much work before, during, and hours of editing after shooting for the final image, she enjoys what she does, and it shows.
See Kaela's fashion work on her website: www.kaelaspeicher.com.
Internship Goals
Over the next several months, I will be sharing updates about the Internship process with a look at what I'm learning, behind the scenes, and current projects. With the knowledge that Kaela has in a photography career, I have many goals for this time in working with her.
1. Retouching. Phlearn is an amazing site that has taught me everything I know about retouching and post-production, but I know I can always improve my skills and learn different methods. With the endless possibilities in Photoshop, there are countless ways to approach editing. My goal is to learn to new ways to retouch for a natural and an "unedited" look. Along with this, getting an effective workflow down would benefit my working process.
2. Reviewing technical skills and marketing strategies. Reviewing the basics are never a bad idea, and sometimes you can learn something that you missed the first round. I want to work my way up in reviewing from the basics of photography to business and marketing strategies, as well as building SEO. Some additional steps I would like to cover are what types of jobs are ideal for my personal style in work.
3. Transitioning from the label "student" to "professional". It's the curse of a photo student. People tend to look down on students and not consider them professional until they have degrees. As we are told by our professors, we are to look at our work and ourselves as professionals, as this is the only way we can be viewed as one. However, the actual transition to the real world from student life is harsh and sudden. It's a huge reality check and will make or break you. Upon graduation, I hope to push myself to use my learned skills in a career setting and keep working to find the job for my work.
4. Keeping organized and scheduling shoots in a successful way. It's easy to become bombarded when dealing with multiple sides of a business by yourself and coordinating shoots between a model, makeup artist, hair stylist, and personal schedules. It's a necessity that I learn how to keep this balanced and keeping some sanity along the way.
5. Developing my final portfolio in my style. I feel that often it's difficult to shoot specifically for a personal portfolio. When you are shooting for other people and their visions, it's easy to push your personal work aside. As I am graduating at the end of the Internship, I would like to gear everything I produce to my final portfolio that reveals my personal style.
Internship Final Project
Kaela also introduced the idea for the end of my Internship to shoot a project, and have her as my assistant in the shooting process. This would serve as a final project to showcase my improved skills over the three month period and shot specifically as a personal projects. Highly inspired by the work of Brooke Shaden, a fine art photographer, and Kirsty Mitchell, a fine art and fashion photographer well known for her Wonderland series, I want to develop a conceptual shoot with the intricate details to produce a surreal and styled environment and look. This will also push me to work with other artists for styling and allow me to use composite and retouching techniques as well.
Next week I'll be sharing more about my Internship with Kaela as it officially begins in the new and my final quarter at The Art Institute. Thanks for reading!
Live by faith & share through fotos.
BTS of Out of the Fog: Shiloh Leath (Part 2)
Part 2 of the behind the scenes look at the final shoot with Shiloh Leath for Out of the Fog, focusing on the specific styling, use of fog, editing techniques, and symbolism in final images.
As mentioned last week, this week I would like to share my thought process behind the specific look shared through the tones, use of fog, and other editing techniques in Shiloh's Out of the Fog shoot, along with the symbolism and poetry in her portraits.
Why did I choose specific lighting set ups and editing techniques through tones? For this project, I was highly inspired by the works of Michael Bader, Laurie Bartley, and Jade Mai. Each of these artists' works has a feel of cinematic quality through lighting and editing techniques Their technical skills are combined with symbolism, that is presented through their models and scenes, making them appear significant. By editing in a cinematic type style, it shows that the model is part of a story, and have their own story.
Why is there fog? Fog causes confusion and a loss of sense of direction, which can mean either physically or mentally. Fog can also represent danger as it hides things from us, like truth. So, in this series, the fog is presented as a symbol that represents all the cloudiness and confusion of who the model is, as they are literally coming out of the fog and revealing who he or she is.
So why does her nose appear to be broken or cut? As mentioned last week, through the final images, I wanted to get across every essence of the pain that she has faced, and how she has risen from it. I wanted to present her in a beautiful way as though she has literally healed and risen up to where she is now, although the mark is left behind in a subtle way that may be noticed at first or second glance.
Why did I choose the outfit? Shiloh is a photographer as well, and works with mostly female models in the fashion and fine art categories. I wanted to portray her how she would portray one of her own models, as this art form of photography is so much a part of who she is.
What does the poem mean? The poem reads: "Buried alive/The flesh will fail./Into the fray,/Battle the veil." This poem follows the idea of Shiloh rising from the pain that she has suffered from, and that physically we weaken. For the second portrait of her, I wanted to have her picking up her dress and walking with such intensity as though she were literally about to go into battle ("Into the fray). Shiloh shared with me that she feels very strongly about feminism, therefore "Battle the veil", a veil as it represents female power.
Here are the before and after shots of each image.
Before
After
Before
After
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Behind the Scenes of Out of the Fog: Shiloh Leath (Part 1)
A behind the scenes look at the final shoot with Shiloh Leath for Out of the Fog.
On January 9th, I shared my personal project entitled Out of the Fog. Out of the Fog is a series that brings out the hidden thoughts of self-worth among individuals. Created with elements of mystery, surrealism, and dramatic qualities, symbols are used in each image to represent the idea of self-worth. The portraits also involve the models' perspectives of who they are, what their values are, how they doubt themselves, and what keeps them from being positive. Read more about the meaning and inspiration behind Out of the Fog by reading my introduction here: Introduction.
When I approached Shiloh to see if she would have any interest in being one of my subjects, she was more than willing and very excited to share her story. In fact, I still have the message she sent which read, “Yes I'm so so so honored you thought of me. I'm a huge fan of your work. Just let me know what to do.” With lots of happy emojis. That’s the kind of people I like to work with, people who are excited to make art happen, and are willing to go out of their way to make it work. Shiloh is a photographer as well, and has amazing work, which you can view on her page here: Shiloh Victoria Photography. Not only is her work incredible, but so is her story. Like all the other models, I interviewed Shiloh to answer the questions listed previously. Through the final images, I wanted to get across every essence of the pain that she has faced, and how she has risen from it. She is also very much for feminism and shows that through her images. I wanted to replicate the style of work she creates, because it is so much a part of who she is.
If there is any advice to share with fellow photographers, I would say don't be afraid to direct your subject. YOU are the only one that has the vision of the final image, and it is up to you to explain it to the best of your ability. There is no other way that your model can portray what you see in your mind. If the photo isn’t working out how you had planned, take a short break and demonstrate what you want done. And of course, always be respectful and kind to your model in the process of working with them.
The lighting set up was relatively simple. I prepared for the worst, and brought four flashes and stands with me, but only ended up using one. I used the one flash and a combination of ambient light for a more dramatic look. And with the help of my assistant, I used a gold reflector to bounce some of the flash back into the shadows.
The final images chosen to be used for Out of the Fog from Shiloh's shoot look very different than the shots straight out of camera. Next week, I will be sharing the specific look I wanted to share through the tones, use of fog, and other editing techniques. I will also be sharing more in depth on the symbolism and poetry shared along with these two portraits.
The first image was shot with my 85mm, 1/125 at 2.8, ISO 100. I really love the shadows and the light it brings to only part of Shiloh's eyes, created with the use of one flash off to the right and pointed down.
The second image was shot with my 24-105mm, 1/80 at f/4, ISO 200. The same lighting technique was used for this shot to create a dramatic atmosphere.
Special thanks to Elise Baker of E.B. Photography for behind the scenes photos.
Live by faith & share through fotos.