School Pictures With a Twist

Remember school picture day? You’d get all dressed up with your hair just right, and spend all morning hoping your cowlick behaved. Your class would be shuffled down to the auditorium or gym, and one by one you’d be ushered onto a stool, then quick smile, click, and done. A few weeks later the picture packages would arrive and everyone would huddle over their prints. The lucky few would proudly display their big grins, others would sheepishly downplay the awkward results.

The school portrait industry has evolved since then. Now there are green screens, digital proofing services, and fancier lighting. Those changes are great, but the basic ‘assembly line’ setup has been left intact. Time to shake things up!

Making a great portrait requires more than a few seconds with the subject. So I’ve been working on a twist of the traditional school model: I decided to bring on location portraiture to the whole school. Traditional school pictures are like fast food: quick and efficient. Not the best, but fine in a pinch. With just a small additional investment of time and care, we can do so much better for our kids. I suppose in the fast food analogy, my approach is like the carefully packed lunch, made with love, attentive to individual preferences. And like the perfect packed lunch, it can be pretty simple but feel like a gourmet meal — because it was made just for you.

I spent a few days at a Lake Forest preschool making outdoor lifestyle portraits of over 100 children! It was truly exhausting, but so much fun! Just 10 minutes with each child allowed me to capture a range of expressions. With kids, it's never really small talk — it's more like making 100 new friends. My knowledge of Disney heroes and princesses has never served me so well.

Enjoy this short slideshow and if you'd like me visit your child's school, drop me a note! 

Headshot Hangout

Polishing up your professional online profile, tweaking your resume — these tasks can often feel tedious and dull, the kind of thing you put off as long as possible. But keeping your headshot fresh — which, if you're a professional, entrepreneur, or creative type, is just as important as keeping your resume current — doesn't have to feel like a chore at all. Turns out, it can feel like a party.

My brother and a few friends needed new headshots for LinkedIn, Facebook, and various work websites, so we came up with the idea of holding a 'Headshot Hangout' to get all the pictures taken and make an event out of it.

I headed into Chicago to set up an impromptu photo studio at Mike's apartment. He made some pizzas for everyone to snack on. Josh, who runs a wine business, brought something to drink. Our friend Mark, a stylist at Trunk Club, helped all the guys dress the part.

Over the course of 3 hours, everyone ate, drank, enjoyed great company, and spent some quality time in front of the camera. It was a fun afternoon and the shots look great. I follow several of the guys on Facebook and it’s been cool to see the comments they get when they post their new photos as profile pics.

Sound like fun? If you're interested in hosting your own Headshot Party in Chicago or Lake County, drop me a note — I'd love to help!

Hold the Cheese Please

Photographing kids is always a challenge, especially when the kids are your own. When I work with adults that take direction, the job is almost too easy! The great thing about working with kids is that you never know what sort of expression you’ll get.

In this smartphone age, kids are bombarded with cameras. Many have become conditioned to snap out a smile as soon as the camera comes up. But do you really want a cheesy smile all the time? I certainly don’t.  

You’ll almost never hear me ask anyone to directly smile in front of my camera. A forced smile is obvious on anyone. And with a child’s playfulness, it doesn’t take too much to get a far more interesting expression.

So mix it up next time you pull out the iPhone in front of your kids. Ask them to do anything but smile. Ask them to sing a song, do a little dance, whatever comes to mind, and grab a few shots. I bet you’ll get some new looks! Before long, you’ll have quite an outtakes reel (like this shot). But you could also catch a timeless shot perfect for the mantle.

Shaving At Warren Township High School

Would you shave your head? Recently, a bunch of students and a few teachers at Warren Township High School, in Gurnee, accepted the challenge in the name of cancer research. The event, affiliated with the St. Baldrick’s (pun intended) organization, was a treat to photograph.

Students and staff solicited donations to shave their heads. And local businesses (including myself) donated their time, services and razors to the event. Over $20,000 has been raised!

Of course, for some students, it was just another haircut. But to many, it was a rather big decision. What a wonderful cause!

Show Me Your Headshot

Once upon a time, only actors and executives thought about headshots. Now we all do.

Your Facebook profile photo? Your Twitter avatar? Your LinkedIn photo? They're all headshots. The context might have changed a bit, but many of the old rules still apply:

Rule #1. There’s a huge difference between a great headshot and a lousy one.

Rule #2. Get a great one.

My new headshot was taken by Peter Hurley, a world famous headshot photographer, at an incredible workshop this past weekend. Just weeks after I moved to the Chicago area, Peter happened to be in town offering an intensive weekend course for photographers. My wife volunteered to hold down the fort and watch the kids, and I got 20 hours to study with Peter.

The workshop included great lectures and plenty of time both behind and in front of the camera. Being in front of the camera — actually sitting there getting my own picture taken — was illuminating. Literally. It was blinding due to Peter’s intense lighting. But his true gift isn’t his fancy equipment. It’s his ability to pull rich expressions from anyone who steps in front of his camera.

Peter describes himself as “90% therapist, 10% photographer.” Watching him work, it’s easy to see how the dynamic between subject and photographer makes all the difference. The human element in his work is incredible. No matter where technology takes us, I don’t believe a computer will ever be able to product expressions with the authenticity that a talented photographer brings every day to his craft.  

I learned so much at the workshop, and I’m already putting new techniques and tricks to use in my own sessions. Drop me a note and let’s get to work on a new headshot for your social media presence. Everyone can benefit from a bit of profile therapy.

PS - Here's a quick tip for your next selfie — Check out Peter's video on the Squinch. Now, take that photo!