The Air Smells Good Again...

Music | Just Friends by Amy Winehouse

Breathing again, the air of the past when commercial photography was pretty much all I knew. My professional career as a photographer began in commercial photography, assisting photographers that shot national ad campaigns, annual reports, catalogs... The structure of a shoot often balanced chaos on a tightrope. The deadlines, limited communication, and the stress of trying to put together concepts for an idea that has no structure - a day in the life of what I would like to live again.

Within the past 7 days, I got my opportunity again to put together a small ad for a regional health organization. I got a very general idea of what the shot was for, who I was going to be photographing, and that was about it. I didn't get most of the pertinent info until Monday afternoon. My location scout only provided me stress, but my subject was pretty laid back and I knew we would be able to work well with each other. More stress came in the form that the principal contact I have with this organization made special effort to come to the shoot.

Sometimes pressure is a good thing. A lot seemed to be riding on this photo shoot for me. I found that the organization might be in transition with photographers, which is the reason I got this shot. The location for this "Ad" was less than optimal and I had serious fear that I was going to fall on my face on this one. The principal will be there, watching my every move to see how I put this all together... My confidence could take the biggest hit!

Long story short, with help from fellow photographer, Randy Kepple, some discussion led me to some ideas where I knew only the execution was in doubt. My big hurdle was that the location was not at all conducive for an advertisment, but we had to use it as it was part of the story. My main concern was capturing my subject with her personality, but making the location as nondescript as possible...