All the Things with Annika
Nick Fancher Nick Fancher

All the Things with Annika

This was my first shoot with Annika Peterson and we did all the things. I started off with some light lighting, using a black fiber optic brush and orange gel from Light Painting Brushes. After that I explored making long exposures while rotating a linear prism FX filter and multi-strobing my flash. Finally, I took some shots with my fungus-filled lens, using shutter drag and an LED with changing colors.

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The Unmasking: Shoot, Print, Shoot
Nick Fancher Nick Fancher

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…

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Tim Hortons x Fruit Loops
Nick Fancher Nick Fancher

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.

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Blue and Gold
Nick Fancher Nick Fancher

Blue and Gold

My friend Dylan is an amazing designer and illustrator and he recently hit me up to update his head shot. He uses a certain hue of cyan for his branding which he wanted to implement into the shoot. I decided to also use yellow-gold (the complementary color) and work within that palette for the entire session, changing only the angle or hardness of the light sources. Here are just a few ways to use two colors:

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New Creative Portrait Video Tutorial
Nick Fancher Nick Fancher

New Creative Portrait Video Tutorial

Hey friends. Just a heads up that I have a new, 5-part video series that delves deep into how I execute creative portraits in my studio. My entire creative process is broken down, from A to Z…

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Shadows and Simplicity
Nick Fancher Nick Fancher

Shadows and Simplicity

I love the brutality of hard light. Especially when used with a high contrast black and white treatment. Subjects emerge or recede into darkness. Features that might otherwise be missed are accentuated. Everything is stripped down to shapes. All too often I overcomplicate my setups and run the risk of missing the essence of my subject. When I can make myself slow down and simplify, that seems to be where I mot often find truth.

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Mini-Session with Aleksa Palladino
Nick Fancher Nick Fancher

Mini-Session with Aleksa Palladino

Last month I was in Los Angeles for an editorial shoot with a high profile band. As is the case with high profile clients, delays are expected. The shoot ended up being pushed to the next day, which meant I had to figure out how to make use of my now-empty day. I decided to reach out to my friend Aleksa to see if she was available for a quick photo shoot…

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Merrill Lynch Atlanta for Barron's / Wall Street Journal
Nick Fancher Nick Fancher

Merrill Lynch Atlanta for Barron's / Wall Street Journal

I can think of no better element in a photo shoot than creative freedom and trust. I had precisely that in my shoot for Barron’s last week in Atlanta. Annie Chia, the photo director, sent me a handful of photos of music groups such as Nirvana, The Rolling Stones, and the Velvet Underground as direction for my session with the three investments consultants. The shoot was already off to a great start.

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