Emmary Roemer, Business Portrait :: Bloomington/Normal, Illinois, Business Headshot Photographer

My friend Emmary came by the studio a couple weeks ago for a new business headshot.

Normally I write up a bit about my subject and the technical aspects of the session here on the blog. In this case, however, Emmary wrote such a wonderful review of her experience that I'll simply let her tell the story.

I was at a turning point in my business and knew I needed professional headshots, but I knew I wanted to do them right. I also knew I wanted to work with someone I trusted.  

I have known Michael for many years and truly respect his professional and family life. My family is blessed to do life with Michael and his wife Suzanne through church, family and children. I thought that our outside relationship might make the photo session a bit awkward.

That was the furthest from the truth.

Michael was professional and friendly. We chatted about our kids, school, church and so on. He then took the time to learn about what my goal was in getting these pictures taken. I truly appreciated the fact that he wanted to know WHY I was having these pictures done.

We were able to chat comfortably about the “look” I was aiming for and how we could achieve that. During the actual photo shoot, Michael put me right at ease. Initially, I was nervous. A mommy does not usually get in many pictures, let alone have hundreds of pictures taken just of her. Michael guided me through the shoot, explaining the background, the lighting and the angles. I felt like I was truly a part of the session.

Another very valuable part to feeling comfortable was the fact that Michael had me fill out a short survey online that asked my general interests in music, books, entertainment and hobbies. It was obvious that he had paid special attention to that information. My favorite music was playing during the photo shoot, and he often started conversations around my interests and he really listened as I talked.

Michael even allowed me the option to look at the images he was taking as we moved through our time together. I was able to show him which shots I liked best and why. Once again, he listened and continued working toward a perfect shot.

We ended our session together by picking our favorites and I walked away feeling like I had taken the next big step in my professional career.  

I was beyond pleased with the final selections. Michael truly captured the look I was wanting. This experience far exceeded my expectations and I am proud to recommend Michael to all those needing professional pictures.

Thank you, Emmary, for your very kind words and for letting me make your pictures.

If you’re in central Illinois (Springfield, Bloomington/Normal, Peoria), I’d be happy to make your business headshot as well.

Barbra Burdett, Author Portrait :: Springfield, Illinois, Business Headshot Photographer

Local college professor and author Barbra Burdett came by the studio on Tuesday for a portrait. Barb teaches biology and anthropology at Lincoln College (here in Lincoln, IL) and has written a few books. She has a new book forthcoming about, of all things, football in the 1930s. She needed a photograph to accompany the book cover.

Barb came to the studio with a couple outfits but our favorite looks were made in the one in which she's pictured above. We started with a few different lighting setups before landing on the one I felt would work best for her. In this photograph, Barb is lit with a Paul Buff Einstein strobe in a 60" Photek SoftLighter II umbrella from above with a silver reflector underneath. This gives a beautiful, soft, flattering light. I used the same camera/lens combination I use for nearly all of my portrait sessions (including the 6-hour, 57-businesswoman headshot session last month): the Olympus OM-D E-M5 body with the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lens. 

During the session we talked about families and pets and work. We spent about 90 minutes making pictures and reviewing them on the computer, adjusting for the good things that worked. I made some recommendations but the final selections, of course, were left to Barb. Her favorite portrait appears at the top of the post.

I finished preparing Barb's files yesterday and she promptly logged into her download gallery to see them. A short while later she emailed me the following message:

I love them all--thank you so very much!

My pleasure, Barb, and best of luck with the book.

57 Portraits for Thirty-One Ladies :: Springfield, Illinois, Business Headshot Photographer

Photograph nearly 60 women from around the country in 6 hours? Do the math and that's about 5 minutes per person, allowing for a couple of breaks and a few minutes for lunch. Normally I spend at least 30 minutes with just one person. 

Oh, and you have to pack up your studio and bring it with you?

Challenge accepted.

Julie Timm, whom I met in November on an editorial assignment and pictured above, is a Senior Executive Director for Thirty-One Gifts. She hosted a leadership retreat for her team in Sherman, Illinois, last month and wanted her ladies to have nice headshots that they could use in their businesses. So Julie commissioned me to make portraits for the 60-ish women who'd be attending the retreat.

On January 17, I left Lincoln early with my friend Landon (who volunteered to assist and schlep gear). The retreat was held at the Illini Bank Community Center in Sherman, and our "studio" for the day was a small storage closet. I brought a 60" roll of white seamless paper and a portable backdrop stand for our background and my ALZO Pan-L-Lite kit to light our subjects. I chose the Pan-L-Lites because I felt the continuous lights would be easier on our subjects--no flash pop-pop-popping all day long. But I brought a handful of small hot shoe flashes anyway--just in case.

Landon and I pulled into the parking lot around 7:00 AM and started to load in our equipment. We assembled our makeshift studio in about 30 minutes, with the backdrop at one end of the closet and our camera position and lights at the opposite end. I wanted the option to have the background go solid white or light gray, so I'd need a flash to light the background and have the ability to turn it on or off. I positioned a hot shoe flash off to the right (behind our subjects) and controlled it with a Pocket Wizard remote from the camera--good to go.

The Pan-L-Lites were set up in a kind of "box" configuration: one panel each on the right and left and a third panel on a boom overhead. A reflector was positioned underneath to bounce light up into the face as well. Once everything was in place, the setup looked something like this:

In retrospect, I should have added a second background light on the other side (which is what I do in my "real" studio). I thought about it, of course, but figured this would work. I spent more time in post-production, though, on the white background because the background wasn't lit evenly. Lesson learned.

With our "studio" set up and ready, we started to photograph the team. I chose to use the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lens on the Olympus OM-D E-M5 body, my trusty "go-to" camera/lens combo for studio portraits.

Julie had done a fantastic job of organizing a shooting schedule ahead of time and had two stylists on site as well. All the women went through hair and makeup stations (so they looked great) before coming into the studio. Even though we had only five minutes with each lady, I wanted to do my best to help them feel comfortable. I introduced myself to each of the women as they entered the studio and took a few moments to ask where they were from, how long they'd been with Thirty-One, a little about their work and family.

After a a bit of chatting, we started to make pictures. I'd have them turn one direction, make a few pictures, then turn the other direction, make a few more. Depending upon the direction our subjects were facing and whether I wanted shadows, I was able to switch the Pan-L-Lites on and off to get the light I felt was most flattering for each person. Once I was confident we had at least one good look, I thanked them for their time and we ushered in the next subject.

Having worked our way through the list of 57 women, we finished shooting around 2:00 PM. Landon and I packed up and then unloaded the gear back at the "real" studio in Lincoln.

After the session, I sorted through the images and posted proofs to a private Zenfolio gallery for the team. They then chose their proofs by submitting a form on my site (which fed into a Google Spreadsheet). Once I had everyone's selects, the files were sent off for retouching. A few days later I had the files back and did a final "quality control" check then prepped them for downloading. The selects were available in another private gallery where the ladies could download them.

And that brings us to today.

All in all, the process went very smoothly--mostly thanks to solid planning on Julie's part. Shown below is a small sample of the 57 women we photographed during that 6-hour session. I also received some wonderful compliments from several of the ladies after they viewed their proofs--here are a few:

The whole gallery is amazing! You made the experience so easy and painless. Thank you so much!

Thank you so much, you were great to work with and the pictures turned out really nice!

Thank you so much for your time, talent and effort! The photos were great!

Thank you so much for taking these beautiful pictures.

Thank you again for these pictures Michael! I have never felt pretty... but looking at these pictures I feel like I look good... You've given me a priceless gift.

You are awesome! Thank you sooooo much! I never ever get a good picture but I'm so pleased with these!

You did an awesome job! I love my photos!

My warmest thanks to Julie and her entire team for such an enjoyable experience.

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. 

Announcing Illinois Home Photography :: Central Illinois Real Estate Photographer

Today I'm very pleased to announce the launch of Illinois Home Photography, a site dedicated to serving real estate professionals, builders/developers, and homeowners in central Illinois with better property photography.

This past summer I began photographing real estate in the area and have written a few articles and blog posts  about that work. I'm moving some of that content from here to the new site and will be creating new articles to share there as well.

Real estate and property photography, more than anything, is really about marketing. Agents and businesses who choose to brand themselves with great photography, I think, will serve their clients better and build stronger businesses over time.

I'd love it if you'd take a moment to visit the new site. If you're an agent or builder (especially in central Illinois: Peoria, Springfield, Decatur, Bloomington/Normal or Champaign/Urbana), consider joining the mailing list. You'll get a couple of useful freebies and you'll be in the loop as I share news there in the future.

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.