Sean Scheidt Gets “Painterly” for Girls’ Life Magazine

BY 11 August 2021

Baltimore-based Sean Scheidt has been Girls Life Magazine’s go-to photographer for more than a decade. Recently, he was given the freedom to call upon his experience with painting to bring a new look to the publication. For this latest shoot, Sean experimented with adding graphic elements to the portraits he captured of Shay Rudolph, the 16-year-old star of the Netflix series “The Baby-Sitters Club”.

Fashion editorial for Girls Life Magazine shot by Sean Sheidt

Sean had previously worked with the famous teen on a cover shoot for the same magazine. Shay and her mom — who was present during both shoots — collaborated with him on the designs that they wanted to add to each portrait.

Because we had worked with Shay before, she trusted us. I’m grateful that her mom is a graphic designer as well and is open to all sorts of approaches. She really enjoys the process and loves how comfortable Shay feels with us.

Portrait of Shay Rudolph for Girls Life Magazine shot by Sean Sheidt

The subject herself is a creative young woman who expresses her style through patterned jackets that are layered with bright colors and blend elements of masculinity and femininity. Sean’s whimsical graphics follow the color palette of each outfit and provide a unique, abstract background that ties the series together.

All of the painterly elements were added post-shoot using Procreate. We photographed on white and while the images were being sent off to the retoucher I began the process of painting.

Two page spread from Fashion Editorial on Shay Rudolph for Girls Life Magazine shot by Sean Sheidt

For some of the portraits, Sean contrasts the pastels and brush strokes by adding elements of black to direct the viewer’s eye. The script was then inserted into each shot, framing the subject with quirky statements that align with each clothing choice. Sean took pains to strike a balance between highlighting each outfit without overwhelming the aspects of fashion the story revolves around.

Fashion editorial on Shay Rudolph for Girls Life Magazine shot by Sean Sheidt

I really enjoy the quiet process of drawing: seeing it unfold in front of you, experimenting, and trying different things.

Sean’s experimentation produced images that have a freeform quality that is light and adventurous. Through his many years working with Girls Life Magazine, he has adapted a playful style that authentically represents the publication’s youthful audience. In bringing his own artistry to the table, Sean complements a magazine that similarly centers itself around creative self-expression.

Fashion editorial of Shay Rudolph for Girls Life Magazine shot by Sean Sheidt

I hadn’t had any of my more illustrative, painting, or fine art work published — that work was always in galleries or made for myself. It was nice to have the validation that this is good enough for print.