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Project: Raven
Production: VERTEX
Photographer & Retoucher: Jeff Thomas
Model: Colleen Cole
Makeup Artist: Meagan Brown
Behind the Scenes & PA: Colton Brandt
Modeling Agency: Shamon Freitas & Sky Talent Management
Location: San Diego, CA
Raven Photoshoot
For this photoshoot, I wanted to focus on simplicity. Limiting my lighting and setups to the bare minimum, while still creating dynamic imagery. I collaborated with Meagan Brown who I’ve worked with many times before and we set out to create some beautiful black and white photographs.
I’ve always been more drawn to color, so for this shoot I wanted to force myself to do things differently. With any personal project, I like to experiment with aspects of photography that I don’t shoot as often and this photoshoot was no exception.
To start, we found a great model through Sky Talent Management, Colleen Cole, that Meagan has worked with before. I liked her because of the contrast between her dark hair and light skin complexion which I felt would really capture well in black and white. Her look projected an attitude about her as well that I really wanted to focus on.
For all of the images, I only used a one-light setup — which is pretty unique for me. I wanted the lighting to be flexible and give Colleen the freedom to experiment and be able to move so she wouldn’t be restricted to certain poses. Although all four looks are different the lighting was almost the same throughout the whole shoot.
Going into the shoot I wasn’t sure how many looks we’d get to and if we’d keep to my original idea of shooting entirely in black and white. At the end of the shoot, we ended up with four different looks: two series of color and two series of black and white.
When I look at a photographer’s portfolio, I notice a lot of the photos rely completely on the beauty of the model. Often times those are beautiful photographs, but I don’t feel they stand out enough. They aren’t unique. The photographer didn’t create anything that evokes a story or something to stop you and look at the photo besides the models beauty.
What I seek to do is make a viewer want to look beyond. Exploring the ideas of how something was created or curious of what they are seeing. I see photography as an empty canvas, and my role as a photographer is like molding a painting together using real elements right in front of me. That is the essence of my work and creativity.
– Jeff Thomas
Behind the scenes photoshoot with model Colleen Cole
