Dr. Todd Nobbe, O.D. :: Springfield, Illinois, Business Headshot Photographer

Dr. Todd Nobbe has an optometry practice here in Lincoln and one of the coolest doctor's offices you'll find. He's been in practice for 20 years so he knows his stuff--but he's also a fun guy with a quick wit.

Todd contacted me last fall to make some new portraits for his marketing and promotional materials. After a busy few months, we've just finally gotten around to getting his images selected. These are two of the photos we made at the studio.

Todd and his staff recently moved into a new office, and I made a couple of images in the new space there. Look for those on the site soon. 

Dr. Todd Nobbe, optometrist/eye doctor :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, IL

Behind-the-Scenes Video: Business Portraits for Prairie Engineers :: Bloomington/Normal, IL, Headshot Photographer

Pictured above is Lisa Kramer, president of Prairie Engineers of Illinois, a boutique engineering consulting firm based here in Lincoln. Back in December, I photographed five of Lisa's team members for their marketing materials and web site. A few weeks ago, we finished the job when she sent over 10 more of her staff to the studio for their portraits. We ran a camera to catch the action as it happened, and you can see the process in the behind-the-scenes video below (click here if it doesn't load).

If you're in central Illinois (Springfield, Bloomington/Normal, Decatur, Peoria, Champaign/Urbana) and interested in learning about how I approach business portraits (AKA, headshots) in the studio, you'll find descriptions, videos, and testimonials on the Business Portraits page. 

BTS: Business Portraits with Prairie Engineers :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, IL from Michael Gowin on Vimeo.

Portraits of Jill Savage, who has cancer

Jill Savage is well known in central Illinois where I live.

Jill founded a ministry, Hearts at Home, 20 years ago to help women and families. She's written numerous books and spoken to countless audiences. Because of her visibility as an author and speaker, she's chosen to live more transparently than most, often sharing life's good and hard stories on her blog.

This past November, Jill was diagnosed with breast cancer and, true to form, has endeavored to share the grief and joy in her struggle publicly with a CaringBridge site.

Jill Savage, Hearts at Home :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, IL

My wife has attended the Hearts at Home National Conference in Bloomington/Normal for years and I've photographed the conference several times. We've spent time with Jill and her husband Mark. And I've made Jill's portraits for her books and marketing materials.

Jill came down to Lincoln today to chat with me and our friend Deanne about her talk at the upcoming Hearts at Home conference. Last night I asked Jill if she'd let me make her picture while she was here. I told her I wanted to make some portraits that represented visually what she's been sharing as a writer through her journey with cancer. She agreed.

Jill Savage, Hearts at Home :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, IL

Jill was generous with her time and attention, more than I expected. She had surgery in December, is currently undergoing chemotherapy, and will have 33 radiation treatments once she completes chemo. I would be grumpy, tired, and selfish; Jill was gracious.

Jill Savage, Hearts at Home :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, IL

We used a very simple lighting setup: a couple of Alzo Pan-L-Lites to the right for illumination and a silver reflector for some kick on a few of the images. Technically, it could hardly have been simpler. The challenge for me, though, came in editing the photographs.

After getting the pictures into the computer, I found myself confronted by the face of a friend who is walking a hard road. Choosing these pictures was difficult, and I'm still somewhat ambivalent about showing them. They reveal a woman in a place where no woman should be. But the reality is that other women are there, and Jill is choosing to walk alongside them by sharing her story.

To share her story--that's why I wanted to make these portraits. And my hope is that other women and families are encouraged by Jill's words and these pictures.

Thank you, Jill, for sharing your story and letting me help you tell it.

Jill Savage, Hearts at Home :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, IL

Behind-the-Scenes Video: Interviews with Mike Zalewski and Elaine Nekritz :: Springfield, IL, Hybrid Photographer

BTS: Interviews with Illinois State Representatives Mike Zalewski and Elaine Nekritz from Michael Gowin on Vimeo.

Illinois Governor Quinn delivered his "State of the State" speech in Springfield last Wednesday, and I was on hand to interview two state representatives--Mike Zalewski and Elaine Nekritz--for their reactions. Ryan Keith from TriCap Consulting works with Mike and Elaine, and he wanted to help them reach their constituents with more than just a sound bite or quick quote in a news story.

We met in Mike's office in the Stratton Building at 1:00 PM, next door to the Capitol Building where the governor had just concluded his speech. I set up my gear for the interviews: a Panasonic GH3 camera with the Lumix 35-100 lens, and a Shure lavalier mic feeding into a JuicedLink RM222 preamp to capture the audio. I brought along two ALZO Digital Pan-L-Lite Quad units--the same ones I use in the studio--but we used only one for the interviews.

Mike and Elaine sat for the interviews while Ryan asked questions. You'll see the completed interviews here on TriCap Consulting's YouTube channel. We recorded the process in the time-lapse video above (click here if you can't see it) with a GoPro Hero 3 video camera.

Having the ability to simply record video and audio in addition to great still photographs was one of the key reasons I switched to hybrid gear last spring. We can get professional looking results without a lot of fuss, and clients who use these kinds of services can better tell their stories, reach their constituents or prospects, and grow their businesses.

Deron Powell, Mt. Pulaski, IL, State Farm Agent :: Springfield Business Portrait Photographer

Deron Powell, a long-time Logan County resident, came by the studio a couple weeks ago to update his business portrait. In addition to running his State Farm Insurance business for nearly 15 years, Deron has been a respected member of the community as well. He's served as president of the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce and currently sits on the board for the Abraham Lincoln Hospital Foundation in Lincoln.

Many thanks, Deron, for letting me make your picture.

Robin, State Farm Insurance Marketing Strategist :: Bloomington/Normal, Illinois, Business Portrait and Headshot Photographer

Robin, a marketing strategist at State Farm Insurance in Bloomington, IL, recently came to the studio to update her business portrait. I photographed her engagement in Lincoln and wedding in St. Louis a few years ago and we've stayed in touch since then. Some people possess an easy grace in front of the camera and photograph effortlessly; Robin is one of them.

Good Luck Queen Crystal :: Springfield, Illinois, Pageant Photographer

The lovely Crystal Quint, our 2013 Miss Logan County Fair Queen, will compete in Springfield this weekend in a field of 72 county fair queens for the state title. The Lincoln Courier has the details.

I wish Crystal the best as she serves and represents the people of Logan County.

Logan County Fair Queen Crystal Quint :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, IL