Brad Nikles, TIME Dealer of the Year Nominee :: Springfield, Illinois, Business Headshot Photographer

What are the odds that owners of two car dealerships in small towns in central Illinois would be nominated for the prestigious TIME Dealer of the Year award just one year apart?

And what are the odds that the owners of those dealerships would be brothers-in-law?

If you happen to Brad Nikles and Chris Graue, the odds are pretty good.

Last fall, Chris came by the studio for a headshot. He owns Graue Inc., a Chevrolet/Buick dealership in Lincoln, and had been nominated as one of the 55 dealers from across the country to vie for the 2014 award.

Then just a few months ago, Brad (who is married to Chris' sister Barb) was nominated for the 2015 award and came over for his headshot. Brad owns dealerships in Mason City and Petersburg. The State Journal-Register has a nice write-up of Brad's history in the business, which included nearly losing the business in 2009 when Chrysler closed nearly 800 dealerships nationwide.

The 2015 winner will be announced at the NADA annual convention in San Francisco, CA, on Friday. You can view Brad's nomination profile here.

I wish Brad the best as he represents our communities here in central Illinois.

2014 Miss Logan County Alyssa Morris Ready for State Pageant :: Springfield, Illinois, Pageant Photographer

Every January young ladies from around the state travel to Springfield for the Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Pageant.

Lincoln's own Alyssa Morris was crowned in the Logan County Fair Pageant back in July. She'll compete amidst a field of 74 contenders for the title of Miss Illinois County Fair this weekend.

Good luck, Alyssa--I know you'll do great.

Behind the Editorial Shoot: Marla Wilson, First For Women Magazine (Springfield, Illinois)

Back in November I was hired by First for Women to photograph Marla Wilson, a Springfield, Illinois, resident. First profiles a reader in each issue who has made a remarkable change in her health, and Marla was being featured in the January 19, 2015 issue.

First's photo editor, Christie Geiger, contacted me to create "beautiful, evenly lit portraits" of Marla for the story. The assignment called for one full-length vertical image of Marla, composed to the right of the frame to allow space for copy on the left. Since the story would appear in a winter issue, the setting needed to be indoors. Christie would make arrangements to have a hair & makeup artist as well as a wardrobe stylist on set.

One obstacle we had to overcome immediately, however, was the setting. We couldn't do the shoot in Marla's home so we started looking for alternative locations in Springfield. I'd want to use a longer lens so we could make the background go soft. And since we needed a full-length shot of Marla, this meant we would need a space with a lot of front-to-back distance.

I called a couple Realtors in Springfield, explained the story, and asked if they had any homes for sale that we might be able to use for the shoot. Within an hour, I was given the name of a family in Sherman (on the north side of Springfield). They had a beautiful 5,600-square-foot home and would be willing to let us come in on a Saturday morning to make the pictures. Perfect.

On the day of the shoot, Marla arrived at the home with Kila Alexander, our hair & makeup artist, as well as Julie Timm, our wardrobe stylist. Marla had consulted with Julie prior to the session to discuss clothing choices, so she came prepared with a couple of attractive outfits. And Marla had requested Kila since she's done Marla's hair for years.

When I arrived, Kila was working on Marla's hair so I started scouting locations inside the house. I made a few pictures of Julie in several locations before landing on three strong options. I decided to use the Olympus OM-D E-M5 body with the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 prime lens for the session. As Marla and Kila wrapped up, I started setting up lights.

Marla Wilson, First for Women magazine, Springfield, IL :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, IL

This was the first location we used. We had a lot of front-to-back distance and plenty of room for copy on the left. Marla's being lit with a LumoPro LP180 flash in a 60" umbrella (to the left) and I set up another LP180 in the back hallway to create some separation. I like this composition and pose a lot, but the photo intersecting Marla's head is distracting to me. If it had been my home, I'd have taken it down but I didn't want to push my luck in this instance.

Marla Wilson, First for Women magazine, Springfield, IL :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, IL

After a few more images by the stairway, we moved into the kitchen for another round of pictures. I lit Marla with the 60" umbrella to the right and added a bare LP180 behind her to the left to create separation. This gives a nice highlight on her hair and body. I really liked the compositions and poses here, especially since the window to rear provides a nice sense of framing.

Marla Wilson, First for Women magazine, Springfield, IL :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, IL

The third location we used looked back into the living room. I lit Marla with the 60" umbrella (on the right), bounced a second LP180 into the ceiling for a fill light, and bounced a third LP180 into the living room ceiling to illuminate that room. We did a few poses here and the image below was the one Christie selected for publication.

Marla Wilson, First for Women magazine, Springfield, IL :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, IL

And here's how it appeared in the magazine:

Marla Wilson, First for Women magazine, Springfield, IL :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, IL

While I was shopping in Wal-Mart a couple weeks ago, I noticed that the magazine was on the newsstand so I Instagrammed a little video.

Here's our entire project team—Marla with Kila and Julie as well as homeowners Lola and Glen.

Springfield editorial photo session team (L to R): Lola, Kila, Marla, Glen, Julie. Michael is in the back.

A HUGE "thank you" everyone who helped both before, during, and after the shoot. And huge props especially to Marla for doing the hard work to get healthy.

Curious to see more like this? Here's my session with Caterpillar VP Kimberly Hauer for Talent Management magazine.

Preview: Editorial shoot in Springfield, IL

Earlier this month I was contacted by a national publication to make a picture for an upcoming issue. Springfield resident Marla Wilson, center in the photo above, is being profiled in the magazine and they needed a photograph to accompany the story. We made arrangements to make Marla's picture in a home in Sherman, and stylist Kila Alexander (left) and image consultant Julie Timm (right) were also on set to help ensure Marla looked fabulous throughout the day.

The issue comes out in January; I'll have more details then.

A Portrait of My Friend Michael the Canadian and a Story to Go With It

Some 20-ish years ago, I met Michael in grad school. He was from Prince Edward Island, Canada, which sounds exotic when you live in central Illinois. We hung around with a group of mutual friends those couple of years. He took me to play hockey once (I was really bad but had fun) and he was in my wedding party.

Since then I've stayed in Lincoln and Michael's moved around some. He got married and has eventually settled in Marble, Colorado, where he and his wife run a retreat center for ministers.

Michael was in town last week teaching a doctoral class and we invited him over to the house for dinner Thursday night. It was fun to chat about school, our families, our work, and where our lives have gone in the past 20 years.

I was in the middle of a session at the studio on Saturday morning when Michael texted and asked if I wanted to have lunch. I thought he'd already left to return to Colorado but, no, his flight didn't leave until Saturday evening. The timing was perfect, so he stopped by at 12:30 and we went next door to the Mama's Arcade Cafe. Michael ate a horseshoe (a piece of toast topped with meat, french fries, and slathered in melted cheese). It's a central Illinois thing—I'd never heard of it before I moved here. I ordered a big hamburger and fries. We continued where we'd left off from Thursday night, talking about the joys and challenges of raising kids and being fathers.

An hour and a half later, we wandered back over to the studio and I asked Michael if I could make his picture. I used the light I'd set up from my morning session (a Paul Buff Einstein in a beauty dish) and made the picture above.

I hope to have more opportunities to do this--to make pictures of my friends. Time and distance will separate us but I'll see this picture and remember our food and conversation and laughter. And I'll look forward to the chance to do it again.

Alyssa Morris, 2014 Logan County Fair Queen :: Springfield, Illinois Pageant Photographer

Summer is county fair season in Illinois, and that means a new fair queen. The Logan County fair is held at the end of July (which is late by county fair standards) so our queen has less time to get ready for the state pageant than many of the other queens.

Lincoln native Alyssa Morris took the crown this year, and I was honored to host her at the studio for her competition headshots. Here are a few of the photographs we made.

Congratulations, Queen Alyssa—I wish you the best during your reign as the Miss Logan County Fair Queen.

Alyssa Morris, 2014 Logan County Fair Queen :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, Illinois

Alyssa Morris, 2014 Logan County Fair Queen :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, Illinois

Alyssa Morris, 2014 Logan County Fair Queen :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, Illinois

Dr. Tim Phillippe, CEO, Christian Homes :: St. Louis, Missouri, Executive Portrait Photographer

Every organization has a story to tell--that's the purpose of marketing. When we tell believable stories that get people to know, like, and trust us, we have the opportunity to win them over. And the stories are told not just with words but often with images. Well-made portraits and photographs can tell your organization's story and help get people to know, like, and trust you.

Christian Homes is an organization with a great story. Founded in 1962 to provide health care for older adults, Christian Homes now serves over 2,500 residents in 13 communities throughout the midwest. CEO Dr. Tim Phillippe has led the ministry since 2001 and is now based at their St. Louis headquarters. Jan Schumacher, the organization's communications coordinator in Lincoln, contacted me to make a new portrait for Dr. Phillippe that would appear in the annual report and other publicity materials. I met them at the studio recently while Dr. Phillippe was in Lincoln for meetings and we made his portrait.

We made pictures in two different outfits and on white, light gray, and dark gray backgrounds. While reviewing the proofs at the studio, we decided the dark background best complemented Dr. Phillippe's skin tone and clothing choices, and this is the final image Jan chose for publication.

What story are you telling with your imagery?