Over the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to capture images of many people who enjoy the studio process and the images. It’s not about the equipment. These days, the cost of excellent equipment (DSLRs and strobes) is within range of most people. The real challenge is to work with the model in a way that achieves flow, to get everyone (photographer included) to relax and catch that wave where everyone forgets about the mechanics and becomes themselves. There are many magic moments where it becomes timeless, including the endless hours one spends back at the computer in the development process. Those hours of apparent tedium fly! All of these photos were taken in the St. Louis area.
Oh, and having a portfolio one is proud of is also about having the willpower to delete all of one’s mistakes, all of them. I delete an embarrassingly large percentage of the photos I take. If you like my work, that’s my main secret, along with a lot of trial and error.
