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.
Live by faith & share through fotos.
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.
Live by faith & share through fotos.
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.