making studio magic w/Nianci 念慈多元的魅力
My Favorite Clicks – Episode 2
Plugging in some old hard drives and looking through some archives recently, I had the opportunity to revisit one of my all-time favorite studio shoots.
This one goes all the way back to December 2013, and a shoot for a local Taiwanese running and fitness magazine that was planned to launch in early 2014. As lead photographer for the nascent magazine, I worked on several shoots to build editorial and feature content, including working with a local (and actually somewhat international) celebrity and runner for the planned cover story of Issue #1. That was a great shoot, the celebrity was easy to work with (easier than her agent/handler), and I loved the resulting images. Layouts and mockups were completed, and I was really looking forward to seeing my work featured on the cover, with lots more expected to come.
About a week later I was the photographer for an even more enjoyable shoot in the humble studio I built out in the editorial office’s basement space. This also featured a runner I knew well on a personal and professional level. She was a rising star on Taiwan’s burgeoning running scene and had earned quite a following on Facebook, as well as some endorsement deals from local brands and distributors.
We mapped out the shoot in terms of various looks and moods to express her beauty, elegance and personality, and I came up with multiple lighting approaches. An editor and a stylist were present, and I had one assistant. After a late morning start we worked fairly quickly through various looks, and wrapped up in the early evening.
Unfortunately, personality conflicts between staff members resulted in the magazine’s demise before even one issue was published, and the images have never seen the light of day. Still, it remains a favorite shoot and I am still proud of some of the images we made that day, through the right combination of inspiration, preparation, creativity, and collaboration.
I detail some more about that shoot and feature some images and behind-the-scenes in the linked video, as well as in the gallery below.
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