Angelo Merendino Gets Cleveland Magazine Imagery for its “Shop Local” September Issue

The concept of having a consistent client, especially these days, is one we’ve discussed on this site before. But perhaps no photographer we’ve profiled over the last year-plus has locked down the kind of assignment you could set your watch to — a monthly gig with a big publication — quite like Angelo Merendino. The Midwesterner was at it again for Cleveland Magazine’s September issue, whose main topic was about supporting small businesses in the community.

The shoot was for the September issue of Cleveland Magazine, which is about shopping locally. The location was Haven Cleveland. There was one model, and everyone wore a mask; there were also bottles of sanitizer all around us. The team consisted of me, my assistant, the art director, and an intern at the magazine. The shop owner was present, and she helped with styling. The AD and I discussed the concept in advance in order to be as efficient as possible.

Skeleton crews are part and parcel with COVID-era commissions, but that’s beneficial when the assignment takes place indoors. Add to that the fact that Angelo likes smaller teams anyway, and the regulations don’t seem so bad at all.  

I’ve always preferred to work with a small crew, and this was definitely helpful on this shoot. Haven is a boutique shop to start with, and with social distancing in effect, it was helpful to not feel crowded. Having a smaller crew made it easier for everyone’s voice to be heard, which contributed a lot to the final work.

One of our favorite parts of writing about Angelo’s work is the time lapse video he shoots in conjunction with the work itself. And during a time when people are still figuring out the rhythms of a shoot, those videos provide an even more fascinating insight into what a shoot day is like.

This is Cleveland Magazine’s yearly “Shop Local” issue so the concept was pretty straightforward. Jessa Moser, the AD, wanted a bright and clean composition so I planned to bounce light all over the room. I had a photo of the space in advance and I knew where I wanted to set up and how much space I had to work with.

After we arrived, we moved a few tables around and got to work. The part that took the most time was choosing the wardrobe. The model brought a nice selection, and the shop owner also offered a lot to choose from. Some of the choices looked really cool, but they were too summery, and we are rolling into fall. Once we dialed this in, the shoot had a nice flow and everything went according to plan.

Over four brisk hours, Angelo and his team got everything needed and had no issues with time management. As we’ve covered many-a-time, communication before a shoot is the key to making all this work. An inclusive photographer, Angelo makes it a point to get everyone — from AD to assistant — on the same exact page well before people step foot on-site.

Work has definitely been slow due to the pandemic but jobs are starting to pick up. I think communicating and listening to clients is even more important than pre-pandemic. I want everyone involved with a job to be comfortable so before a shoot I tell everyone that I will be wearing a mask and following social distancing guidelines. I ask questions to find out what will make them comfortable/uncomfortable, and then I do my best to create a comfortable environment.

Credits:
Art Director: Jessa Moser
Assistant: Michael Larkey
Cleveland Magazine Photo Intern: Ryan Grzybowski
Model: Constance Ariana

See more of Angelo’s work at angelomerendino.com.

Check out our other great photographers on our Find Photographers page!