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.
Read MoreDiscovery with Marissa Nadler
A couple weeks ago I drove down to Nashville to photograph @marissa_nadler. I’d been a fan of her music for almost 15 years so I was super excited to work with her. I didn’t have any visual plans for the shoot— no mood board or pre-conceived ideas. In recent years I’ve really embraced improvisation when it comes to shoots. I bring a few key pieces of equipment with me— enough to cover a broad range of techniques— and then I allow the space, the subject, and the moment to dictate what happens within the session. Sometimes it backfires and I come away with nothing. Other times magic happens. Either way, it’s my favorite element of a shoot…
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Nick Fancher X Adobe Lightroom
I’ve been an Adobe Lightroom user since 2007, when it first dropped. When it comes to post-processing, I use it almost exclusively, only rarely opening Photoshop. It has not only elevated my color grading game but it has also probably added a year to my life with the time it’s saved me. All that to say I was honored and flattered when they reached out to me to write some tutorials on how I use their software…
Read MoreEphemera: A Collaboration with Hana Mendel and Celeste Malvar-Stewart
Last week I collaborated with Hana Mendel (an amazing photographer, illustrator, guitarist, etc) and clothing designer Celeste Malvar-Stewart. In an effort to maintain social distance guidelines, Celeste dropped off her garments, giving us permission to style and shoot them as we saw fit. Hana showed up ready to shoot and I kept my distance, wearing a mask the whole time. Save for the addition of wearing a mask, the shoot wasn’t any different from my other personal shoots— I always work with a minimal or non-existent crew…
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Remotrait (FaceTime Photo Shoot) with Sara Lando
Sara Lando is my friend. She’s also a brilliant photographer, artist, and teacher based in Bassano del Grappa, Italy. Last week we hopped on a FaceTime call and she graciously sat as my subject for an hour-long shoot.
Read MoreShe'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.
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Trauma Portraits (Series)
In 2017 I began a series exploring trauma. I invited participants to come share their story with me, which was followed by a brief portrait session. I had subjects gather several images (or a video) that represented a time of significant trauma in their lives, which they brought to my studio to share with me. When they arrived we took some time to sit and discuss their story. After chatting I took the imagery they brought, loaded it into a slideshow, and projected it onto them while I created multiple-exposure portraits. As the photographic layers began to stack up, the projected images of trauma became less and less recognizable and only the colors and fragmented shapes remained. Old photos representing terror and loss began to disintegrate. Scars transformed into beauty marks, wounds and wholeness inextricable.
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Exorcise Routine
Yesterday I shot with Katy and really leaned into creating dreamlike (nightmarish?) images. I’ve been experimenting with mylar for over a year now and continue to find new ways of interpreting the material. I love the soft reflection it offers, which give the photos a painterly quality. With the warping of the material, otherwise dreamy images turn into those depicting an exorcism.
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New Work with Chyna (plus LIMITED EDITION BOOK AND PRINT SALE)
Remote Photo Shoots Featured in Better Photography Magazine
Better Photography Magazine (India) recently interviewed me about my Remotrait sessions. I’m still taking bookings if you’re interested in portraits of your own.
Alexander Dreamer: Feel Alive
Jalen, who raps under the name @alexandrdreamr, reached out to me last Sunday about collaborating on a photo shoot. The entire nation was in its fourth day of protesting the murder of George Floyd by Minnesota police, which was in-part the inspiration for his new song, Feel Alive. When I first listened to the song, these lines really hit me:
“I risk everything just to feel alive
We don’t go outside, that’s how n****s die”
He showed up at my studio the next day and we got to work. While he mixed ingredients to make fake blood I set up lighting to mimic police lights. After working through a range of poses we settled on this shot. What immediately struck me was the fatigue in his eyes, which sadly made complete sense. This injustice wasn’t anything new; simply par for the course in this country.
Here’s another verse that struck me:
“Feel pain for my brothers, cause those are all of my keepers
Surface is not worth it it’s been urgent to dig deeper”
As Jalen states, now more than ever we have to dig deeper. Question our realities and check our privilege. Think twice before calling the police. Believe minority voices. Be willing to admit when we’re wrong and grow rather than giving in to shame or pride.
In the original version of the song there was the following line:
“Footprints in the sand but I bring the sand to my beaches”
If you’re not familiar with the reference, Footprints in the Sand is a popular poem in the Christian community where a poet describes two sets of footprints walking side by side through life. They lament that during the most difficult period of their life there was only one set of footprints, and ask god why they were left alone. God responds that that was when they were being carried. Jalen’s statement that he’s responsible for bringing his own sand to the beach implies that the comfort of god’s “presence” would be non-existent were it not for Jalen’s efforts. Thoughts and prayers are nothing more than empty consolations. There is an expression “It’s impossible to steer a parked car, so get moving.” It’s time to stop waiting around for god or government to make the world a better place and get to work doing it ourselves.
A Rose by Another Name
As quarantine restrictions are starting to loosen I am slowly resuming shooting with people IRL, which is such a blessing. This was a quick study of soft pastel colors, which I selected based off Rose’s wardrobe. For the final scenario I (subconsciously?) had Rose cover her face in one of her shirts, which gave the image a mysterious, even mournful look. Though we are beginning to go back to work and return to “normal”, the quarantine has left an obvious mark on human interactions.
Read MoreZoom Photo Shoot with Roarie Yum
I first met Roarie Yum three or four years ago at a shoot I was doing with a different model. The two of them had been on the road together, taking modeling gigs one city at a time, and while I was shooting with the other model Roarie hung out on my studio couch and caught up on her email. I wasn’t aware of her work at the time and when I later saw her incredible portfolio I kicked myself for not working with her when I had the chance.
Read MoreBlue 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:
Read MoreRemotraits Vol. 3
After a month of experimenting with these FaceTime/Zoom photo shoots (which I call Remotraits) I’ve really broadened the range of techniques and materials that I work with, resulting in a big variety of styles. Just in creating the images in the gallery below I worked with mylar, prismatic window film, rubber cement, honey, water, and trash bags. I love the painterly results I’m getting and can’t wait to do more.
Read MoreMarissa Nadler: Remote Shoot
I recently hopped on a FaceTime call with Marissa Nadler to shoot some photos. I’d been a fan of her music since 2006, so I was super stoked to be collaborating with her. I shot through a range of materials, covering five setups in the hour-long session. After I sent over the images she decided to use the above photo for the cover of her new covers EP.
Read MoreMetal Hammer Magazine: Lamb of God
Back in February I had the opportunity to photograph the metal legends Lamb of God in their hometown of Richmond, Virginia. I was told that the theme of the story was revolution so I began to brainstorm ideas for lighting, pose, and technique that would match. We used orange as the color palette, giving a nod to Russian propaganda posters. I also decided to give a nod to the infamous NWA album cover for Straight Outta Compton.
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Remotraits Vol. 2
I’ve been doing remote photo shoots (Remotraits) for a few weeks now and they continue to evolve. I began by projecting the FaceTime or Zoom feed onto a backdrop and shooting through different materials and substances. Then I moved on to projecting the conference directly onto different materials to change the shape and add texture to the projection. After that I started placing different substances on plexiglass over a horizontal computer screen, allowing me to shoot through different liquids. I’ve really been enjoying these experiments.
Read MoreRemote Photo Shoot with Code Orange
This past week I had the pleasure of photographing one of my favorite bands, Code Orange. The band was about to perform their album release show for their latest album, Underneath, right when COVID-19 hit the US. Rather than leave their fans in the dark, they performed in the empty venue and live streamed it for their fans. While I not only appreciated being able to experience their performance myself, I also resonated with their quick thinking and willingness to adapt to current societal conditions.
Read MoreEpisode Two of The Creative Portrait
Episode two of The Creative Portrait is now live. In case you missed my previous post, I am teaching my entire creative process in a multi-episode video series. In this episode I cover the following setups:
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