Boka Studios» Model

Manny and Mia – Editorial Shoot

Travis — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:00:42 +0000

We set out with one objective (my objective…they were game for whatever). Shoot a Detroit night scene from the top of a parking garage. The image was crystal clear in my mind, and it was what I planned the entire night around. We started out at a couple locations around the studio, then headed out to find us a parking garage. But as fate would have it, the shoot took a path of its own, and within five minutes of getting to the top of the garage, we were politely asked to depart. So, we improvised. And to be honest, I’m SO glad we did! Manny and Mia were great subjects and we had a ton of fun hitting the streets of Detroit. The shots below are a handful of my favorites from the night.

Light and Shadow

Travis — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 02:05:51 +0000

Have I ever mentioned I LOVE LIGHT? And almost as much as I love light, I love shadow…mix those two beauties and you start getting some pretty amazing results. I’ve recently had this fascination with experimenting with different methods of lighting. Of course I spend the majority of my time in shoots with the typical sources, hot shoe flashes, strobes, and natural light…but I’ve been obsessed with finding other ways of modifying my light or using non-traditional methods of lighting a subject. Every object I see that has any element of translucence I find myself wondering how I could use it to light a subject and what it would do to my light.

Sometimes it works. And, a lot of times it doesn’t…but you’ll never know unless you try. The shoot below is the result of one of those experiments, and likely one of my favorite shoots in a long time. Moral of the story? Experiment! You never know what might happen, it might be cool, it might completely suck, but either way, you’ll learn something from it.

Sara – Model Shoot

Travis — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 06:44:23 +0000

Wow, it seems like ages since I blogged! I almost had to get out the blogging manual and brush up on how to log in and post some images! OK, so I’ve never been the master blogger, and it’s probably obvious that if there ever was a blogging manual, that I haven’t laid eyes on it…but since it’s a brand new year (I still have 11/12 of the year left…) I’m going to be SO MUCH BETTER! I’m committing myself to actually putting words on the blog. Even if it just has to be mindless rambling like this, I’ll add a few words to my posts…not that anyone actually cares what I have to say, but I’m committed none-the-less. So, from here on out, you all get words.

So back to the blog neglect I’ve subjected you all to. There’s a reason. It’s not just that I’m lazy. I actually have lots sitting around in Lightroom, waiting to be posted and shown to the world, and I’m excited to share it all with you! But…in addition to my recent work, I may or may not have been working on something special…something big! Stay tuned…more info coming soon .

So let’s get back to Sarah. I met Sarah and much of her family just before Christmas. Here are a few images from our shoot.

Makeup

Travis — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 06:39:58 +0000

Makeup. Not enough can be said about having great makeup done and having it done by a great makeup artist! Over the past year, I’ve had the chance to work with several makeup artists on different projects, and it’s been great seeing how each can bring their own creativity and talent to life through their work. One of my favorite MUAs to work with is a girl by the name Courtney Peters, based out of Canton. Here are a few images from our last shoot.

Detroit’s Next Big Thing…

Travis — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:23:50 +0000

So, I don’t normally shoot children. Just not typically my realm. There are so many great children and family photographers out there, and they are SO talented! My wife, the incredible Jean Smith, among them (I might be biased, but I think she is PRETTY DANG PHENOMENAL). So when people call and ask for a typical child or family portrait session, I refer. I almost always refer. However, in this instance, this little beauty’s mom called, looking for a modeling session for her daughter. Of course, I obliged. And I’m so glad I did! She was so much fun to shoot, and a total ham in front of the camera. Look out Detroit, here comes your next big thing!!!

And….I’m back!

Travis — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:09:23 +0000

After what seems like an eternity, I’m finally back. The reason for the trip was a large photography conference, but we were able to fit in a little family visit and a little play while we were at it. Jean was very diligent and stayed home and worked while the boys and I drove out west…in retrospect, I’m not really sure which one of us got the raw end of the deal . I joke, of course, and my four boys were troopers…I’ll post a few images from our adventures maybe later this week, but this post is more dedicated to the conference and my time in Las Vegas.

So, while in Vegas, I had the opportunity to hear from some of my photographic heroes – people like Vincent Versace, John Paul Caponigro, Joe McNally, Cliff Mautner, and Zack Arias (just to name a few). It’s always inspiring to hear from these people and see their work. I think the best part of the conference was during a lecture by Vincent Versace. After several minutes of fighting with his computer (for some reason it kept crashing in the middle of his photoshop presentation), he broke into a rap song…the guy seriously cracks me up! If you haven’t spent any time learning from him, I highly recommend it. However, be prepared for your brain to hurt…the guy is a genius and often dives into some very technical waters.

In addition to the conference my friend Brittni Schroeder and I set up a few editorial shoots, which I’ll share with you over the next couple blog posts. The first I’m posting here, is with Jlene. When we contacted her, she said she was interested in shooting in a lake bed. I thought to myself, I didn’t realize there were any lakes in Las Vegas…and after we arrived at the location, I realized that there aren’t! But the location was awesome! I’ve never had the chance to shoot in such a desolate, arid location, and it was a great change from what I’m used to. The skies were completely blue, not a cloud in sight. We arrived later in the day, so heat wasn’t an issue, and we ended up getting a beautiful sunset. It was incredible seeing the vivid colors setting against the deep blue and purple mountain horizon…really made me miss my western sunsets! Jlene was a great subject as well. She was a ton of fun to work with, and if anyone is ever in need of a model in Vegas, I highly recommend her.

Editorial shoot for clothing designer, Adriana Pavon – Day 3

Travis — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:23:08 +0000

Here is the final set of images for my shoot with clothing designer, Adriana Pavon. Clothing modeled by Katelynn Polidan and Cynthia Zhang.

Editorial shoot for clothing designer, Adriana Pavon – Day 2

Travis — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:00:31 +0000

Welcome to day 2 of the posts from my shoots with clothing designer, Adriana Pavon. Clothing modeled by Cynthia. Come back tomorrow for the final series of images from our shoots (at least for now…).

Editorial shoot for clothing designer, Adriana Pavon

Travis — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:00:22 +0000

I’ve been working recently with a clothing designer, Adriana Pavon, owner of the Creative Energy Group. She does incredible work, and I’m way excited to be shooting some of her recent pieces. I’ve posted below a few images from our most recent shoot, and tomorrow I’ll follow it up with a few from another shoot. You may recognize one of the models from an earlier shoot, Katelynn Polidan. When Adriana asked if I had any models we could use, the first that came to mind was Katelynn, who has quickly become one of my favorites to work with. So, designers, photogs, world, if you are in need of a kick-a model, who always delivers, she’s your lady!

Stephanie – Editorial Shoot

Travis — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 05:01:28 +0000

A few images from a recent editorial shoot with Stephanie.