Group Shoots

Group shoots are events where photographers, models, makeup artists, hair stylists, and other creatives get together to explore different ideas and concepts. The shoots are about artistic expression and also about building community amongst artists.

December 2015 Beauty with Brains group shoot

So here is a set we did at Fido Motors in Kalamazoo. One of the things I have recently started to do is post less images. As much as all the photos I do I think of as my babies, I have realized that only a few are real jewels. So I have learned to be more self critical. 

December 2014 Beauty with Brains group shoot

This shoot was at a warehouse space. Warehouses are nice because they are wide open. Sometimes you have to wander a bit to find a top notch spot that does not look bland. The other thing you can do is use a smoke machine to add awesomeness to the space too. 

October 2014 Beauty with Brains group shoot

This shoot was done down in a reclaimed old school house in Three Rivers, MI. We were in the basement for these shots. The thing about this shoot is that I was only there for roughly the last hour of the shoot. I was not sure even if I would make it that day. I met Trish and we decided to shoot something. We wandered around the building and found this cool spot in the basement. We had like 30 minutes to set up lights, talk about the concept, and to do the shoot. I regularly teach in my classes to learn your equipment and the technical really well. That way it will come naturally and you will be able to set up that part fast. Then you can concentrate on the artistic. 

May 2014 Beauty with Brains group shoot

This shoot was done in an abandoned factory space. I love shooting in abandoned spaces because there is so much character in them. The outdoors photos were just out and around the factory space. The models featured here are the wonderful Phire Free, Marisa Rodriquez, Stephany Sheppard, and Taryn Alyssa. Beauty with Brains is a wonderful group of creatives in Kalamazoo, MI.

April 2014 Beauty with Brains shoot

For the April Beauty with Brains shoot in Kalamazoo, MI we were in and around a wonderful bicycle shop and an upscale antiques shop. These photos feature Taryn Alyssa, Sadie Grace, Jasmine Rose, Paul Schneider, Tiffany Middleton, and Phire Free. Some of the photos were shot with the very interesting LensBaby lens that gives the wonderful selective focus.

March 2014 GR Shutter Arts shoot

GR Shutter Arts is a group I started in Grand Rapids, MI modeled after the work done by Beauty with Brains in Kalamazoo, MI. The event was hosted at MaddHats and GR Vintage Thrift in Grand Rapids by my good friend Peri. We had several different "sets" to work with. I spent a lot of time running around organizing things. But I did get some time to shoot with Taryn Alyssa, Angela Pearl, and Paul Schneider. One of the things you might notice is how versatile the models are from shoot to shoot.

December 2013 Beauty with Brains shoot

Another shoot in an abandoned factory. The models featured are Angela Pearl, Katie Loughrin, Jackie Layer, and Phire Free. This was the first time I ever got to shoot with Phire, Jackie, and Katie. One of the wonderful things about group shoots is meeting new people. For the shots with Angela where she appears to be in front of an active blast furnace I created the effect by putting a radio triggered strobe inside the chamber with an orange gel on it. Along with For the steampunk, dancer, and ghost shots I used a fog machine for the first time that I had picked up on Amazon. It has become one of my favorite photography tools to work with. The fog can create amazing depth in a photo. The photos with Katie as the dancer were a spur of the moment inspiration. She was getting ready to shoot in a different part of the factory. When I saw her and was thinking of the steampunk photos I suddenly had the idea of shooting her in the same space. It came out delightful, and in the process I made another great friend. If I remember right from this shoot this was the first time Jackie had ever modeled, and she had initially come along with a friend to just see what the group was about.

February 2014 Beauty with Brains Phobia House shoot

The February shoot was at The Phobia House north of Kalamazoo. It was all about dark themes. I loved working with Jackie Layer and Katie Loughrin for some vampire themed photos.