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In Vancouver
Vancouver-based photographer Erich Saide was contacted by an art director asking if he would be interested in working with Noise Digital on a new project they had coming up for the British Columbia Lottery Corporation. The plan was to shoot hockey players being smashed up against the glass. The goal of the campaign was to create some eye-catching and intense images to bring attention to BCLC’s PlayNow Sports Betting for the NHL playoffs in print ads and online ads.
The planning process was relatively straightforward for this kind of shoot: once he secured the location and talent, Erich was pretty much ready to go. As the shoot began, everyone had a really good time. It was a fun and humorous process, trying to perfect a method for face-squashing complete with spit coming out of the talent’s mouth.
The biggest challenge on set was creating a realistic on-location image in the studio that conveyed the same effect of being smashed into the hockey arena boards. Making this look as realistic as possible took a lot of forethought and planning.
It turned out the biggest issue was getting the Plexiglas in a position so they would be able to press someone’s face against it without it moving at all. They came up with all kinds of crazy rigs that didn’t work and eventually settled on the trusty C-Stand to hold it in place, which worked great.
It is always fun to work on projects that allow the team to be creative and try new things.
They had good reference materials, which gave them a good idea of the lighting scenarios in a hockey arena. They were also lucky to work with an amazing retoucher who was able to guide the team and provide advice on how to go about creating an image that could be easy to be worked on later in post processing.
We had a great team solving problems as they arose, but we all had a good idea of how to move through the shoot systematically so that the post work was relatively pain-free.
The client absolutely loved the finished product. The picture was so successful that it’s garnered industry recognition from Communication Arts and is included in the publication’s 2017 Photography Annual issue.
Here is the final image that was released in the print and online adverts.
See more of Erich at erichsaide.com!
In Pennsylvania
Mercersburg, Pennsylvania-based photographer Ryan Smith is a huge fan of breweries and beer. Recently, he decided to try to incorporate more pictures of this subject into his portfolio. Gearhouse Brewing Co. is a local brewery near Ryan, and he thought it would be the perfect place to break into this line of work. Ryan also knew one of the part-owners of the brewery who helped him gain access. The part-owner put Ryan in touch with the David, the brewmaster, and they set up a time for a tour and photo shoot.
The planning of this project involved visiting the brewery, scouting it out, learning about the beer making process, and then planning a rough shot list about what Ryan wanted to capture and convey. Of course, it also involved tasting all the beers they made and having a good time!
The shoot was super mellow and went just as planned. Ryan got to hang out with David for most of the day and learn about the entire brewing process. Ryan even got to shadow the brewmaster for a couple of hours while he brewed a new batch of beer. The biggest challenge of this shoot, as one can imagine, was not drinking too much beer while shooting! One’s focus is obviously the first thing to go when you’re drinking on the job.
The images have been receiving fantastic feedback, especially from Gearhouse. They were pumped about the final pictures and realized they had received a huge gift from Ryan which they could implement into their marketing. Ryan’s favorite part of the project was getting to witness how serious and invested the brewmaster is with his craft. This was fascinating for Ryan, as he knew there are common misconceptions people have about breweries.
A lot of times, we think of craft breweries as consisting of a couple of crunchy dudes who hang out and drink beer all day while messing around with beer recipes, but that’s defintely not the case here.
Ryan marveled at how efficient and analytical David was about his approach to brewing. Being the only employee currently involved in the brewing, it’s a very solitary process that frees David up from distractions.
With the explosion of Micro Breweries and public interest in beer, Ryan plans on continuing this brand narrative style of photography because it seems like great timing. He’s excited to dive into the industry and the scene associated with it. It also helps that he lives in a Pennsylvania area with some excellent craft beers!
See more of Ryan at ryansmithphoto.com!
In Maine
Maine native Heather Perry had met with the National Geographic Channel’s Senior Photo Manager, Nicole Cappello a few years ago and the two hit it off. The pair kept in touch over the years, and recently, Nicole thought of Heather for a National Geographic Channel project. The shoot was to take place at a high-profile event called Further Front in which they were to announce the channel’s upcoming programming to the media and ad executives. Nicole thought of Heather for this based on a recent project the photographer shot with a similar premise to what Nicole was looking for. Heather was thrilled when she received the call and jumped at the opportunity.
They hired Heather to create a pop-up photo studio and make portraits of the celebrities at the event. In addition to the portraits, she was to provide an engaging experience and send the finished pictures out to the subjects afterward. To plan for the shoot, Heather busied herself designing the lighting to achieve the look she wanted for the portraits.
I wanted to keep it clean, flattering and relatively simple. No tricks or gimmicks. I wanted great and consistent portraits in which each person’s personality and engagement would come through.
The primary challenge was the speed in which Heather needed to photograph each notable guest and simultaneously make it a memorable experience.
I had anywhere from about a minute to maybe five minutes with each person. I had to be both engaging, conversational and work quickly while thinking about their experessions and the framing.
However, even with that challenge Heather loved this kind of fast-paced work and had a great time with the project.
A gig like this is two parts photography, one part performance. I love the challenge of that, the designing, the logistics, and problem-solving. Also, the opportunity to connect with each person is like fuel for me.
Heather knows the amount of planning she put into this project was the key to its success. She is also hopeful that the quality of these pictures will lead to more opportunities like this.
See more of Heather at heatherperryphoto.com!