Personal rebranding for an established professional can be as nuanced as any industry overhaul. After 30 years as a tech CEO and investor, Austin native Mike Frost decided to step away from the white-collar world and focus on his visual arts. With so many years keeping Austin ‘wired,‘ Mike knew he’d need fresh assets to aid in the rebranding. He reached out to Austin-based lifestyle photographer Nick Barnes to help tell the story of his new brand as a painter, his studio, and its striking world of color.
Mike reached out to me via email and we set up a time to chat more about the project fairly soon after. He mentioned he had a marketing director based in Los Angeles, and he told her to “find the best photographer in Austin, TX.” After sending him back a few sites, they decided that my work was the best fit for what he was looking for.
To optimize the photoshoot, Nick and Mike got straight to work preplanning.
Mike and I worked on pre-production remotely. It consisted of a few video calls to chat through his vision and shot list to make sure we could hit the ground running as soon as the shoot day came around.
As a photographer, it’s common to have to take on additional roles such as producing and art directing. I told Mike I was able to produce the shoot and art direct it based on his needs, in addition to photographing it. My own work is very vibrant and true-to-color, which aligns with his art studio.
The assets from the shoot were slated to help build out a new website promoting Mike’s paintings.
The images are intended to show the vibrance and ever-changing direction of Mike’s work. Because his brand is fairly new, we needed to show off Mike’s talent and expertise in just a few frames. Mike Frost’s brand identity is fun and exciting, as well as a smart take on modern art.
There were two locations for the photoshoot: the first was Mike’s studio in Downtown Austin, and the second was his home in West Lake Hills.
We split the day just about evenly, with 5 hours on site at the first location, and about 4 hours at the second location. Parking and access was fairly manageable, however, we did have a bit of a ways to travel unloading the grip and gear once we arrived.
For this personal brand, the subject was the painter and his work.
It was a blast working with Mike. The start of the shoot was relaxed for him, but still new. By the end of the day, we walked away as friends. I’ll still go out to Mike’s house for dinner parties that he hosts.
Overall, I’m a very fun and relaxed person. I keep my schedules tight and make sure pre-production is nailed down solid for a smooth shoot day, allowing me to connect with my subjects. I create an energy on set that stays positive and no matter the external factors we may run into, at the end of the day we all get to create something very cool.
As producer, art director, and photographer, Nick was able to keep the number of bodies on set limited.
The photoshoot had a fun but relaxed energy. It was just me and a photo assistant on set, with Mike as the subject. Additionally, I was shooting tethered with a live stream for his marketing director to watch remotely and chime in with notes as needed.
Mike’s studio, like most painters’ studios, was sized for painting and not much more. That Nick took on extra roles on set helped make this workable, but in turn, it left him additional day-of hats to wear.
The biggest constraint of the shoot was the size of Mike’s studio. It works great for him and his art assistant, but having to keep my crew to two people was tough. I took on additional roles as producer on set, as well as a PA to make sure things went smoothly. This is something I continue to do quite often, but it is a tricky balance of making sure the day runs smoothly, while also being able to connect with my subjects/clients.
In terms of creative challenges, Nick faced an interesting dynamic, making the most of a recurring subject and space.
I had to take a small space and turn it into a blown out lifestyle shoot. By using various lenses and angles, I was able to create a unique set of images that look great as both individual shots, or together as a project. When shooting a large art piece at his home, we ran into a few technical challenges due to the positioning of the sun. Unfortunately for this shoot we weren’t able to have a scout day, so we had to think pretty quickly on our feet at his home as he has large floor to ceiling windows. We were able to take advantage of exposure bracketing and taking plates with flags to then stitch the final image together.
But nearly any challenge on set can be eased by having first taken the time to be personable with the subject and to allow to develop a solid professional rapport.
I learned that taking time to connect with your subjects and clients makes the shoot extraordinarily better. There are a lot of sets where the expectation is to constantly shoot and be locked in to the work, but by slowing down to connect with everyone, there becomes this comfortable sense across the set that results in more genuine photos.
In closing, Nick recalled a highlight from the project, crafting the portrait shot of Mike in his studio.
His art was mostly hung up, and materials put nicely away, however we had to condense everything for his portrait to make sure it came across as a busy and experienced studio. My assistant and I took around an hour to make sure everything was lit well and in position to tell Mike’s story in a single frame.
Getting to photograph Mike in action was also a blast as he let me get as close as possible and capture him slinging paint and creating a piece. His passion for art really came through in that day and it’s been exciting to see his business grow and work with him since then.
See more of Nick’s work on his website.
Credits
Photo Assistant: Blake Mendoza
Further Reading
Read more about other portraiture photoshoots on our blog.
Let us help you Find Photographers, source Stock Photography,
Produce Your Shoot — or just reach out to hear more!