Once in a while, it’s fun to get outside your comfort zone and shoot something totally different than you normally do. Case in point, this beautiful floral feature I shot for Portland Bride & Groom’s Winter/Spring 2012 issue.

Art Director Samantha Gardner approached me with the concept for this shoot several months before we shot it. The shoot was scheduled for October, so we decided to go with a studio shoot so we wouldn’t have to worry about the weather. She wanted a hard, high key, quality to the lighting to emphasize the bright colors of the floral arrangements. Shooting on white really added to the pop and I love how clean and crisp the images came out.

For you lighting geeks out there, I basically used a beauty dish on a Profoto for my main light. I would use a few fill cards here and there as well.

This kinds of shoot takes a lot of helping hands. Here are all the credits that made this shoot a success.

Art Director: Samantha Gardner / Portland Bride & Groom
Model: Natalie Morris / Option Model and Media
Hair/Makeup: Celena Rubin / Option Model and Media
Assistant: Justin Tunis
Location: Newspace Center for Photography
Flowers: Geranium Lake, Fleur:ology, Old Town Florist, Sammy’s Flowers
Clothing: Holly Stalder, Macy’s, Kate Spade, Lazaro, Cristin Jewels

I really liked how this feature shoot came out in the January 2010 issue of Portland Monthly. Art directed by Michael Novak, the two of us first drove down to Corvallis, OR to photograph OSU scientist Steve Strauss in his grove of genetically modified trees. The trees in the above shot have been engineered so that can be made into paper easier which creates less waste and uses less chemicals in the processing. The trees, though, have been attacked be eco-terriorists and Strauss has certainly had to face a mountain of criticism from peers and pundits alike. It’s a great story and you can read it here on Portland Monthly’s website.

We then shot a series of everyday things that are genetically modified but you would never know it. Mike suggested the products be shot in a clinical sterile way to emphasize the scientific angle of the story. I like how they contrast to the outdoorsy shot of Strauss.

*note: I did not shoot the cat. Apparently our cat isn’t genetically modified, but she’s still very special.

Mmm… bread. Read more here.

I first met the incredibly gifted stylist Bergren Rameson last year on a shoot for Home magazine. I was amazed by how easy she made propping look with such fantastic results. We were shooting a house for a holiday issue and Bergren put together and fully decorated a 12-ft Christmas Tree in about and hour and half. Absolutely amazing to watch a pro in action. Her excellent taste, sense of style, and great personality have led to gigs for big brand names such as Target, Williams-Sonoma, Martha Stewart Living, Pottery Barn, and many more. Visit her website at www.bergrenrameson.com to see her work.

Last week, I had to pleasure to photograph a personal still life project for Bergren in my studio. Everything you see here is handmade and styled by Bergen. She’s definitely got the gift and I look forward to many more collaborations with her in the future.

Behind The Scenes

I knew this was going to be a cool shoot. So, I got out my little point & shoot and took some snaps of what was happening behind the set. The biggest success to this shoot was using the 5D Mark II’s Live View ability. Bergren being able to see what she was getting live in frame allowed us to get though all these a lot faster than if we were shooting a preview for each adjustment.

Bergren Rameson preps paper envelopes for a shot while her husband Brandon irons in the background.

By shooting tethered and using Canon’s Live View feature, we can position the objects and see the results live on screen. Saves a ton of time!

Bergren handcrafted dozens of paper flowers and leaves for the shoot.

Bergren goes by instinct when styling. Lots of prep is involved, but the actually styling is done impromptu.

Bergren’s wedding cake is actually made of styrofoam warpped in fondent. Here, she decorates the cake with hand crafted paper flowers.

Even as the day progressed, Bergren kept an amazingly neat staging area. If I was doing this, it would look like a bomb went off.

These handcrafted paper balls needed to be hung so the would settle prior to being shot.

Here’s the basic set up: Side window natural light, card table, 2 4×8 foamcore walls for bounce, and beadboard as a background.

Bergren styling in Live View.

The whole process took less than 5 minutes. Nice.

I had a lot of fun shooting this one with Jen Davison and Rachel DeSchepper for Portland Spaces. The shot’s really about the product, but there’s so much life in Joanna’s face that it really makes it something special. I also love the bold color tones all complimenting each other. Fun stuff!

Featured in photo are pendants from Design Within Reach made in New Zealand from sustainable materials.