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Best known for her fun and outdoorsy lifestyle work, New York-based photographer Caitie McCabe heads in a different direction with this commercial-style studio project. With a little help from her friends at SandiLake Clothing and Primary Clothes, who kindly provided pieces to be used for the series, Caitie adds kids’ fashion to her portfolio with these sweet photos of a talented crew of cuties.
A limited production time frame and tight budget didn’t stop Caitie from pulling together her team and creating images that demonstrate her diverse photographic style to potential clients.
I keep putting bids out for big retail projects but continuously get turned away due to having nothing to show for it on my site.
Aiming to showcase a range of ages and looks, Caitie put on one of her many ‘hats’ as Creative Director and decided upon three different campaigns to best illustrate her capabilities.
I wanted to show the fun, youthfulness amongst the youngest kids, whom I photographed against the blue background. The images against the white backdrop were meant to show a very clean aesthetic similar to Old Navy or The Gap, and the kids featured in the black and white photos are what I like to refer to as our ‘future faces’ with emphasis on the idea of modern day protest.
With her clothing samples in hand and lighting and styling plans mapped out, Caitie was feeling confident as the shoot day approached. Then, she was faced with a big hurdle to jump, in less than 24-hours, too!
I got a call from Sister Mary, who I had been contact with to book the church rec-hall we were using for the project, when she asked me, “Will you be needing electricity for your photoshoot?” I, of course, say yes. And she follows with, “Well the electrical box has been stolen off the side of our building so there will be no electricity available for you tomorrow.”
Known for thriving under pressure and making light of tough situations, Caitie whipped up a new plan. She reached out to her best friend’s mother, a Catholic School principal, who she was certain would come to her rescue. Luckily for Caitie, school’s out for summer, and with some convincing, she quickly landed herself a new location.
On the day of the shoot, Caitie rolled in on a bus with her excited little models. With a ceremony commencing one floor below the studio set-up, the young talent was persuaded with bubbles and pizza to keep their giggles and talking to a low octave.
The kids were great! Regardless of the setbacks, everyone involved had a great time, and we were able to capture exactly what I was hoping for.
Though this was not a commissioned shoot for SandiLake Clothing and Primary Clothes, they were excited about the content Caitie created with their clothes. Not only is Caitie very pleased with the outcome of this portfolio-builder, but she aims to continue shooting in-studio fashion assignments more often!
To wrap up our interview, Caitie shares that her favorite part of being a photographer is fielding the challenges, big or small, that come her way. At the end of the day, she’s gained more experience by overcoming those obstacles, and she can laugh them off with a chilled glass of wine in her hand. Cheers to that!
See more of Caitie at caitiemccabe.com!
Credits:
Kate Poletti: 1st Assistant
Hilary Giorgi: 2nd Assistant
Laura LaPerche: Producer
Mary McCabe Props
Jena Arkontaky: Props Assistant
Natalia Feeohnix: Styling
Carlissa King: Styling Assistant
Laken King: Styling Assistant
Ellen Moran: Child Wrangler (Talent Caster)