The making of "Lenore"

We have been so busy through the winter months...senior pics, commercial pics, family pics, kids, sports, plays...you name it, there just has been very little free time to even think about doing any personal work.

Just something that was totally creative, no time limit, no money, just fun!

So a couple of months ago we decide that Feb. 19th was going to be OUR day. We were going to carve out an entire Saturday for just experimenting, and so set about trying to find a few cohorts to join in on the fun.

First we knew we wanted Sam involved. Sam (Samantha Tankersley) is just a great hair and make-up artist. We have worked with her a few different times and she's just the real deal...talent galore, full of great ideas, and most importantly, she just fits like a glove with us. It just seems like we always just slip right into the same wave length no matter what the idea. Super cool lady!

Next was to find a victim, er, I mean, a great model to work with! We started cruising Model Mayhem with a specific idea in mind...we needed someone we could make 'feel' like a bird.

Yes, that's right, a bird. We had decided we wanted to attempt to bring to life "Lenore", Edgar Allan Poe's lost love from the poem "The Raven". In our version, the raven actually turned into Lenore, so thus, obviously, we needed a model that could look birdlike!

What does that mean?!? Heck, I don't know for sure...I guess more of a thin face, kind of sharper features...I dunno, but I DO know we looked through 100's of models in a 100 mile radius of us and kept coming back to a couple of choices...one being Rachel Amnah. Even though she had limited experience modeling, there was just something about what she said in her profile that made us want to work with her, so we asked, and she said yep! We were set!

We all got to the studio around noon and started talking clothes, props and make-up. Everyone had brought a little of this and a little of that, whatever had popped out at us as a possibility of looking like "Lenore". Heather's great at picking up possible clothes and props as she's out and about and we had a birdcage that Grandma had given our girls, so all combined it didn't take long for the outfit to be agreed on by everyone.

Next came the hair and make-up, so Sam dove right in. It's fun to watch Sam work...she's quick, decisive, and before you know it a different person is sitting there in front of you. Just amazing.

Now was the scary part...how was Rachel going to be as a model? If you've never worked around or have tried to model yourself, believe me, not everyone can do it. It's hard work. It's not nearly as easy as some of the top models you've seen on TV make it look. You have to be confident, you have to know how to move your body, hold poses for several minutes when asked to, all while wearing uncomfortable clothes and shoes and make-up with flashes going off and people staring at you.

Not everyone can handle that.

Rachel could! She was absolutely incredible. She became Lenore...moving and swaying...always searching for that different look, different angle...different take on her character. There were several times me and Heather and Sam would just look at each other and shake our heads. Rachel completely blew us away.

So what else can I say...it was a perfect creative day. Great people who gave us the funnest 6 hour, 700+ image photoshoot we've had in a long, long time.

Thanks so much Sam and Rachel!!! Can't wait until the next time...

Jeffrey

A New Home for Morristowne

It's been a busy, busy, busy couple of months here at Morristowne, filled with awesome photo sessions and the very big step for us...a new studio! Up until now we have mostly been wedding photographers and the few portraits we did we either provided them on location with our portable studio or, if it worked out better for everyone, we also had a small home studio. A home studio has worked fine for us for the last couple of years, but it does have it's limitations.

The first challenge of a home studio is just having enough room. We were set-up in a 12 ft. x 15 ft. x 8 ft. room that though adequate for one or two people, it could get very tricky with more bodies than that. And though 15 ft. length sounds nice, if you add a background and want to get your model a few feet away from it, all of a sudden your 8 to 10 feet away from your model, which for head shots isn't too bad, but for full body portraits it can get a little tough.

The second challenge is the limiting 8 ft. ceiling height. If your model raises their hands, you see your ceiling...if you want a shot from a little lower, you see the ceiling. You are always fighting that stinking ceiling! It's also so limiting on how high you can put your lights. If you use a 49" Octabox, which is one of our favs, the bottom can only be 4 ft. off the ground before the top is hitting the ceiling. Ok for some shots but again, very limiting.

The third thing is just the lack of professionalism it makes you feel like you're providing. Some of this may just be in our heads, but it just feels weird to have a paying client walk in, meet the dog, meet the kids, walk through our always under construction home, use our bathroom...you know, just a little weird. And as we've begun doing more and more portraits, something just needed to change.

So now we have a new photographic home at 25 1/2 Public Square in Nelsonville, OH. It is just a perfect space for us...15 ft. wide, 54 ft. long with 10 ft. ceilings. We've had it since November and have had several photoshoots there already, but have been just too busy to have time to really whip it into shape...but January looks like it might slow down enough for us to get a little work done and get some photos up on the walls, so January 28th is our target Grand Opening!!! If your in the neighborhood the 28th, please stop by, say hello, eat some cheese and crackers and take advantage of a free portrait session. We'll email you a copy of your photo that you can use however you may wish. Hope to see you then...

Jeffrey

P.S. The above photo was taken of Lou & Kate Elliott in the new studio...whooo hooo!

The Battle

When we go into a portrait session, we let every client know we want to try and accomplish 3 things, that we're after 3 types of pictures for them. We want the picture for Grandma so she can hang it on the wall and admire her grandbaby. We want the photo for them personally...the shot that makes them appear how "they" want to appear to the rest of the world. Then we want the image that is their true, real, genuine, 100% unique self.

That's where the battle begins. Sometimes that's where the battle ends, too.

It's very hard to be your "real" self when there are a couple (or more) people staring at you with what looks like telescopes on the front of their cameras. Throw in a mom, a dad, a sibling, a make-up artist, a costume designer, a boyfriend, etc., etc., etc....all throwing in their 2 cents or if not that, at least "looking" at them...oh my, how could anyone be themselves in that kind of an environment?

The Corny, Ridicules, Artificial and Phony smile and facial expression (we'll say C.R.A.P. for short) problem begins as soon as you're born. We're brainwashed as soon as we plop out of mom. Clean the little gooey thing up, put a little cute hat of pink or blue on us, tickle or pinch us to get a cute little reaction...and our start to putting a mask on the real us, our C.R.A.P. face, has begun! We say "cheese" the whole, entire rest of our lives, it seems. Let's not even get started on our 12-13 years of school photos.

Now don't get me wrong, we absolutely HAVE to get some C.R.A.P. shots. I want them of my kids, I hang them on my walls, I tell everyone who sits in front of my camera to give me at least one! We have to have C.R.A.P.!!! But at the same time, we all have to be aware and freely admit that those photos are not going to be the ones that last the test of time. Just think of all the famous portraits out there...Karsh's photo of Churchill, McCurry's Afghan Girl, or even DaVinci's Mona Lisa. Real expressions, real emotions...Real Good!!! Not a cheesy smile in the bunch.

So if you see me look down at my camera screen and say "man, that looks like crap", don't be alarmed. It probably is a pretty good photo of you. But be prepared, I might be just about ready to ask you to do a couple of frames minus the smile...

Jeffrey