Adam – Portfolio Shoot

The first thing you’ll notice when you shake hands with Adam is his stunning blue eyes.  The second is the strength in his handshake.  Adam is one of those guys that has no lack of confidence.  He exudes a firm self-assurance, perhaps because of his strong looks or perhaps because he runs his own very successful internet company.  Having already mastered online business at such a young age, he’s turned his efforts towards using his good looks to rake in some more dough.

We started the day at the J.W. Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids.  We shot some images in his room, near the pool, and around the city.  Then we went on the hunt for the perfect field.  Adam had a special request for some classic black and white Abercrombie style images.  I think we succeeded.  Enjoy!  – JM

Derek – Portfolio Shoot

I drove to Ann Arbor, Michigan to meet model Derek Watson.  Derek was in need of some new amazing images for his portfolio and comp card.  We had been talking about shooting for quite some time, and both of us were quite excited to finally meet.  Considering he also drove into Ann Arbor, and neither of us had even been to the city, let alone lived there, finding great locations was quite a task!  It is, however, one thing I pride myself on… being able to find amazing backdrops for amazing photographs.

Our first location of the day was a simple underpass and stair case.  I love working with large concrete structures.  Maybe its the simple texture, perhaps its the clean lines, but solid cement just seems to provide the perfect structural setting for fashion images.

Our second location took some time to find.  We drove and drove and drove… got a burger (at least I did…models don’t eat) and then drove some more.  Finally we happened upon an old worn out barn house in the middle of a field full of the tallest weeds I’d ever seen.  We braved the weeds, the bugs, and the possibility of snakes to get to this amazing spot.  The rustic setting was well worth the treck.  We all must sacrifice for our art.

Finally, the last location of the day was a lucky find.  We sped past a junkyard, not thinking twice.  After a moment or two of silence, the idea came to both of us.  A quick U-turn was in order.  We sped back to the graveyard where Derek was bold enough to ask permission to shoot.  As you can see from the pictures, it was quite a stellar find!  Over all, it was an amazing day, and I think the images prove that.  Enjoy!   – JM

JC – Portfolio Shoot

Today I met with aspiring model JC Cunningham.  JC is transplanting to San Fransisco within a matter of days and wanted to get a solid portfolio together before the big move.  As JC is just getting started, he needed to build his portfolio from scratch.  Today’s goal was to provide as large a variety of images as a single day’s shoot would allow.

We met at 9am at the Grand Rapids Museum of Art.  Since their remodel, the GRAM has been a popular location for photographers to shoot.  Nearly every time I’ve found myself in the area, I have seen one photographer or another snapping away.  The GRAM provides a very structural, contemporary, and clean location, a perfect backdrop for everything from fashion images to wedding pictures.

JC and I spent the rest of the day running around to some great locations in downtown Grand Rapids, as well as heading out to the beach in Saugatuck.  Over all I think we created a great assortment of looks for a full and varied portfolio.  Take a look!  – JM