ONE MODEL COMPETITION

I like people.  Most of the time, anyway, haha.  They are one of the reasons that I first started photography...

The main point began with capturing moments with friends and family.  These were simple snapshots that now occupy boxes within boxes in the larger boxes of closets and storage rooms.  Over the years, my professional and artistic lens has moved from stationary objects and landscapes to the faces and forms of real people in a variety of settings.  Street photography, both candid and posed, was the first venture into portraiture. These days, with much more skill, vision, and courage I now confidently photograph weddings, events, and conceptual portraits.  I've had some great fun over the last several months with some interesting portrait shoots.  I'll be reviewing some of these over the next few posts.  

Recently, I had the opportunity to be involved in a local modeling competition here in Bend as a guest photographer on one of the conceptual shoots that were the basis for the competition. The images from each shoot were published in a small local events newspaper magazine and received votes from readers.  They had a runway show, again with audience participation votes.   At the end of the multi-month competition, the contest organizer arranged for three different photographers to do a shoot with the winner, a great young woman named Brittney.  

I was joined by Byron Roe and Tambi Lane for this effort and we all got together on a Monday morning at Studio 3 in Bend.  We had decided that we would each try to do either an in-studio or "outdoor" setting for the shoot and perhaps even a combo of both.  Like all good plans that didn't quite work out exactly.  Since Byron and Tambi did a majority of their work in the studio setting, albeit with very different looks, I decided to venture away from the grey background (after going for it a bit) and "complicate things" by dragging several lights outside. Some of this choice was with the mindset of this shoot being done for publication and wanting to offer the contest organizer and art director some variation in settings as well as wardrobe and poses.

We had a great time.  The vision and energy that is created when collaborating is so rewarding and the exchange of ideas and feedback is very good for my photography.  I always have fun with Byron and Tambi, who are incredible and inspiring artists.  

Look around Bend for the Local Views and Events paper this month to see it first-hand!