Tryzdin Grubbs (American Idol contestant) Photo Shoot
Tryzdin Grubbs is an uber-talented, 15-year old singer from Columbus. He also just happened to get accepted onto the latest season of American Idol. Before the episode had even aired, Tryzdin popped by my studio for a photo shoot. This was our third shoot in as many years and this one was the most dynamic yet. We’ve both grown quite a bit in our respective crafts and so it was cool to see what new things we were bringing to the shoot, from a personal and professional standpoint. Here are just a few of the different looks that we knocked out in the brief but efficient, one-hour shoot.
Playing with Bold Colors and Silhouettes
This was a fun, quick little color study with Erin Hurt, who did her own hair, makeup, and wardrobe styling. I wanted to focus on color and silhouette, so I had her select items with interesting shapes, like suit jacket or an A-line dress…
Exquisite Geometry
This was my first time working with Amber. In preparation for the shoot I told her the same thing I tell all of my models: bring 4-6 different outfit options and have hair and makeup ready when they arrive. Once she arrived we looked through the items that she brought and decided a direction for the shoot based on what we had to work with. I love the improvisational element in test shoots. It can really take my shoots in new directions. It makes me wonder if this is what it feels like tobe a jazz musician, going in loose and riffing off the other collaborators…
The Unmasking: Shoot, Print, Shoot
Last week I shot had a brief session with @mundermonster. I shot for about five minutes, capturing a range of poses. Then I took a break to import the images, select a favorite, and print it out on an office inkjet printer. Then the shoot resumed and I directed Mary in using the print as a prop. I really love this as a visual metaphor for the perceived self…
Elegance of Form
I kept it simple in this shoot with Angela. No fancy camera or lighting techniques. Just focusing on mood and form…
The Fort, From Above
Here’s a short video I made just for fun. This is The Fort— a sprawling warehouse on the south side of Columbus, where my studio resides…
Bold Black and White Fashion Story with Molly
A few weeks ago I collaborated with Molly for the first time. As per usual I relied on her to do her own hair, makeup, and wardrobe and I waited to see what she brought before I decided how I would approach the session, stylistically…
Ransom Supply Salt Yard Lifestyle Shoot
Ryan and I have collaborated on shoots for nearly a decade now, so I was super stoked when he reached out to me to work with him on his new clothing line, @ransomsupply. Though we were shooting in Columbus, Ohio, he wanted the shoot to feel like it was shot out west. When it comes to desert landscapes in the midwest, your options are rather limited. Fortunately Columbus has a wonderful saltyard that I regularly shoot at when the client wants something different…
Michael Malul London Fragrance Campaign Photo Shoot
A few weeks ago I shot product and advertising photos for Michael Malul London fragrances. Not only did I shoot and edit the photos but this was my first time solo-styling a shoot. I shopped for fruits, herbs, and plants, as well as collected a range of organic materials and textured surfaces to help convey the unique notes in each fragrance. The experience of styling felt like equal parts scavenger hunt and art making. I’ve found that creating a compelling still life is exponentially harder than making a portrait since there is no collaborative dynamic with a living subject. Everything that happens in the frame is my doing. It took me back to my days in art school, learning how to create visual movement and balance in a composition. So hard but so fun.
Tim Hortons US Fall Social Campaign
Last month I worked with the fine folks at 5 Hundred Degrees to shoot the Tim Hortons US fall social campaign. It was a beautiful day spent outdoors sculpting light and arranging pumpkins. Thanks always to Seth Miller, my assistant.
Nathan Ward's Winter Triangle
Aside from being a great photographer, Nathan Ward is also a multi-instrumental musician. His first album until the name Winter Triangle is a lush, layered, ambient endeavor in the vein of Daniel Lanois and Harold Budd. Needless to say I was stoked when he asked me to shoot his portrait for the album promo. After listening to the album I knew I wanted to used a projector and smoke machine to create pins of light. The native color temperature of the projector was on the cooler side and I leaned into the blue tones as I colored graded the files in post. I also decided to add a bit of grain to give the images an older feel. The final images look like his music does in my head.
Liquid Color
This was a fun little test shoot with Jona. For some of the frames I projected video footage onto her and made multiple exposures. Other frames I used a pulsing, multicolored LED and had Jona do the moving. There was an element of control and chaos in each scenario, and all of them led to discovery and delight.
My Photography Studio: From Basement to Loft
This is my studio. Not even 5 years ago my studio was in my basement. The ceiling was just under 7ft and the foundation leaked every time it rained. My lighting kit was little more than a couple battery-powered flashes and a desk lamp. Though I only had a tiny space and limited gear, it was my space. I learned to use every inch of that studio and gear…
Wilted Flowers, Crumpled Leaves, and Other Pretty Dead Things
We had a bouquet of flowers on our dining room table for the last two weeks, and it had been dead for easily half that time. When I finally got around to tossing the dead flowers I caught myself and decided instead to bring them to my studio to photograph. Though I’ve been photographing flowers and plants for years I’ve never thought to document them after their prime. I added in some dead leaves from one of our ailing house plants to round out my decay study. I enjoyed these studies so much that I may begin a new series around it.
Making My Own Alternative Camera (Pinhole)
Back in 2002 I was halfway through the BFA program in fine art photo at OSU and I’d just started a course called “alternative camera” taught by the great Ardine Nelson. The umbrella of “alt camera” encompassed everything from finding/modifying toy cameras to making your own cameras from scratch. The course awakened in me a drive to explore and push the boundaries in my artmaking and I really learned to lean into the element of chaos and the beauty of imperfection that accompanied exploration. I crafted a range of cameras during those three months. I made a LEGO pinhole camera that shot 4x5 film. I modified my grandmother’s broken stereoscopic 35mm film camera to shoot hazy, ethereal pinhole images. But my favorite camera ended up being one I made from an old cigarette tin…
Tim Hortons x Fruit Loops
A few weeks ago I shot a range of social media images for Tim Hortons’ recent crossover with Fruit Loops. When it came to the visual approach I wanted to mimic old print ads from the 50s and 60s, which translates to hard light and shifted color hues. I think it gives the images an elevated look.
She's on Fire
A couple weeks ago I shot with photographer/model/stylist Hayle Cordle and I leaned back into my passion for color. Since I wrapped writing for Chroma two years ago I have shifted my focus from color to experimenting more with abstraction and texture. This felt more like a simple study of mood, via color. I need to give myself permission to do more of these simple, fun explorations. It’s restorative.
New Work with Chyna (plus LIMITED EDITION BOOK AND PRINT SALE)
I’ve shot with Chyna at least a dozen times over the past four years and always come away with stunning imagery. My latest shoot with her last month was no exception.
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