My Process

Each image begins life as a sketch, the sketching process allows me to pour out ideas onto paper and refine them. I workout the composition and make notes about color, texture, props, costume and location. Once all these elements have coalesced into a single narrative I begin gathering the materials needed to make costumes or build props. Location scouting is the most time consuming part of the image preparation because I need to visit a potential location multiple times at different times of day to gauge the quality and direction of available light.

On the shoot day I trans port all lights, props, and costumes to the location and get to work. I put my camera on a tripod and adjust the height and zoom until the frame is perfect. I typically bring along an extra light stand and use it as a stand in so that I can set my focus. I always start by taking a clean slate image for background reference and them take my place where the light stand was moments before. Using a remote trigger I take multiple images, changing my pose slightly so that I have several options to choose from in post. Getting hair and fabric to blow properly in the wind is always difficult.

Once I have the images the process is only half finished. I import all the images into Lightroom to choose the best poses and do basic global adjustments. The images are then exported to Photoshop for the final composite, retouching, and color grading. This may sound simple but it can take upwards of 40 hours to complete a complicated edit.