BEVINGTON STUDIO get's Studio of the MONTH !
awarded by Simply Color Labs!
Thanks SCL for the love.
Here is the Right up! Thanks SCL !
A: I don’t know if I really have an answer for this question. But, I can put it this way: My favorite location is any location that complements the mood of the shoot and makes my MOJO, aka creative brain, fire a hundred beats a second. When the MOJO and the senior start to feel and understand the mood of the shoot, the fabrics match and all’s just cranking. That’s what trips my trigger.
Q: How do you find the perfect locations to photograph seniors? Do you pick the places or do they?
A: I like to do things backwards. I look at the clothes and the materials first. Then I get a feel for the senior’s personality. The items the senior brings and their personality inspire the location. I will match this element to a location to achieve the best mood.
Q: I noticed your senior pictures have a creative, funky twist to them. What made you want to do this?
A: I think most senior photos are truly boring! They miss the point of shooting another human. I think some are good technically but lack a massive element in the human world. That is “emotion.”
I have a fashion background and a master’s degree in art. I have shot for a lot of national fashion publications. I have been shooting for almost 15 years. For all of this, it took a simple request from a girl with big-blue eyes and that puppy-dog look for me to realize that I was missing the human element. When a girl from my church, my first real, full-time PA asked me to shoot her senior photos, we were in St. Lucia. I was shooting for a dress designer. Tired and hungry, I was not in the mood to shoot “senior photos.” Anyway, here came the puppy-dog look and a real “please.” I simply said “Okay, however, I don’t know how to shoot senior style.” She said, “just be you.” Well… Okay, being in St. Lucia you couldn’t waste the location doing normal shots. She was my first senior ever! I knew no difference. I had the make-up artist knock her out and one of the paid models help her pose and move. She was able to borrow the designers’ dresses and the rest is history. However, I totally bombed the next 4-5 seniors because I felt no one would like my take on shooting seniors like real models. I tried to shoot them like the ones I saw on Google. These were later compared to the ones I shot in St. Lucia and they didn’t get the same vibe from the clients. They were boring and different, yes as far as location but something else, they were missing what I think are the three crucial elements: feeling, personality and dynamics.
This was 6 years ago. Today I have unleashed the total creative powers at be. I don’t really care about the parents and their opinion– they’re not really the buyer anyway! I only care about the senior!
Q: How do you prepare for a shoot? For example, is there anything you need to bring depending on where the shoot is being held (indoor/outdoor)?
A: I am huge on the pre-planning session and the quick run to Wal-Mart! Lol.
During the pre-planning, I ask the client to bring their whole closet! Really. Then the client and I will put together outfits and come up with the extras. I feel this is best. The senior feels 100% at ease and knows that I am giving my “A” game. Come shoot day, it’s a simple matter of packing the gear.
Q: What do you find to be the best camera settings to photograph seniors?
A: Trick question. The best camera? Easy Nikon, hahaha. No really, truly, it’s the mega pixels that make it. I have both Nikon D3X and Hasselblad D40. Both I shoot 100% manual, about 250th and somewhere between F1.2 and F22.
Interesting but I don’t own a zoom lens or a speedlight. I love fixed lenses and my pocket wizards.
Q: What is some valuable knowledge you’ve gained about shooting seniors?
A: Studio protection. This is huge! I am a guy, and most of my clients are ladies. Also in our time, it is not uncommon for a guy photographer to use the term “fashion shoot” just to get a girl undressed. This makes me sooooo mad! To combat this, and earn the respect of my clients and their parents, I have a female staff and require ALL seniors wear spanks under their outfits, including jeans and shorts.
I have also become very blunt. I find that best. Simply, tell the client that I’m not interested in shooting up her skirt. If the client is wearing spanks, then all the goods are covered and I am free to pose and move around without giving off the “creeper” vibe to anyone on set. I have had several dads come back to the studio after the shoot, shake my hand, and tell me how impressed they were that I took the time to care for the integrity of their daughters.
Q: What is the most challenging part of photographing seniors and how do you overcome it?
A: Creativity, for me. Most of our sessions fees (not including anything but time) average $600, prints and all other products sold at another time. So, if the clients are paying a huge session fee, then I want to make dang sure that they don’t get the same anything that someone in their school has. Yes, I might shoot the same location, but I make sure some of the elements are not the same as the last senior. I have changed my studio sessions to be what I would shoot for ad agencies. I will do true beauty shots and high-contrast, black and white editorial images. The only three backgrounds found in my studio are 18% gray, white, and a 10% gray cyc wall. I have gone as far as to put a swimming pool (cheep Wal-Mart above-ground one) in the studio. I couldn’t find anyone who would let me use theirs. Hahaha.
I really love fashion. It’s kind of like cat people, they’re really nuts about cats. They have like everything in the pet store and spoil them sick! I call it a real PASSION, and if one has passion then only they can understand all the efforts to make it happen. There is no reason for what they do and what drives them. Only that passion and their love is a reason.
I have a true passion for fashion photography.
Q: What are your most popular Simply Color Lab products to sell to high school seniors?
A: I sell the Fine Art Prints– mostly the black and white ones. I miss the days of printing finished images on oriental segal fiber. Those prints always had a certain tone to them. Well, I have finally gotten my files to render black and white with the same tones and quality that fiber had. Simply Color Lab now offers the media to complete the feel and quality of a fiber print.
Q: How do you encourage them to buy these products?
A: It’s simple. I have the same black and white image mounted and in the same frame without glass so my clients can touch and feel the print. It’s not rocket science to know what media print is the best.
Click Here for More Information About Craig Stidham
awarded by Simply Color Labs!
Thanks SCL for the love.
Here is the Right up! Thanks SCL !
Senior Pictures with a Twist
Q: Where is/are your favorite location(s) to photograph seniors?A: I don’t know if I really have an answer for this question. But, I can put it this way: My favorite location is any location that complements the mood of the shoot and makes my MOJO, aka creative brain, fire a hundred beats a second. When the MOJO and the senior start to feel and understand the mood of the shoot, the fabrics match and all’s just cranking. That’s what trips my trigger.
Q: How do you find the perfect locations to photograph seniors? Do you pick the places or do they?
A: I like to do things backwards. I look at the clothes and the materials first. Then I get a feel for the senior’s personality. The items the senior brings and their personality inspire the location. I will match this element to a location to achieve the best mood.
Q: I noticed your senior pictures have a creative, funky twist to them. What made you want to do this?
A: I think most senior photos are truly boring! They miss the point of shooting another human. I think some are good technically but lack a massive element in the human world. That is “emotion.”
I have a fashion background and a master’s degree in art. I have shot for a lot of national fashion publications. I have been shooting for almost 15 years. For all of this, it took a simple request from a girl with big-blue eyes and that puppy-dog look for me to realize that I was missing the human element. When a girl from my church, my first real, full-time PA asked me to shoot her senior photos, we were in St. Lucia. I was shooting for a dress designer. Tired and hungry, I was not in the mood to shoot “senior photos.” Anyway, here came the puppy-dog look and a real “please.” I simply said “Okay, however, I don’t know how to shoot senior style.” She said, “just be you.” Well… Okay, being in St. Lucia you couldn’t waste the location doing normal shots. She was my first senior ever! I knew no difference. I had the make-up artist knock her out and one of the paid models help her pose and move. She was able to borrow the designers’ dresses and the rest is history. However, I totally bombed the next 4-5 seniors because I felt no one would like my take on shooting seniors like real models. I tried to shoot them like the ones I saw on Google. These were later compared to the ones I shot in St. Lucia and they didn’t get the same vibe from the clients. They were boring and different, yes as far as location but something else, they were missing what I think are the three crucial elements: feeling, personality and dynamics.
This was 6 years ago. Today I have unleashed the total creative powers at be. I don’t really care about the parents and their opinion– they’re not really the buyer anyway! I only care about the senior!
Q: How do you prepare for a shoot? For example, is there anything you need to bring depending on where the shoot is being held (indoor/outdoor)?
A: I am huge on the pre-planning session and the quick run to Wal-Mart! Lol.
During the pre-planning, I ask the client to bring their whole closet! Really. Then the client and I will put together outfits and come up with the extras. I feel this is best. The senior feels 100% at ease and knows that I am giving my “A” game. Come shoot day, it’s a simple matter of packing the gear.
Q: What do you find to be the best camera settings to photograph seniors?
A: Trick question. The best camera? Easy Nikon, hahaha. No really, truly, it’s the mega pixels that make it. I have both Nikon D3X and Hasselblad D40. Both I shoot 100% manual, about 250th and somewhere between F1.2 and F22.
Interesting but I don’t own a zoom lens or a speedlight. I love fixed lenses and my pocket wizards.
Q: What is some valuable knowledge you’ve gained about shooting seniors?
A: Studio protection. This is huge! I am a guy, and most of my clients are ladies. Also in our time, it is not uncommon for a guy photographer to use the term “fashion shoot” just to get a girl undressed. This makes me sooooo mad! To combat this, and earn the respect of my clients and their parents, I have a female staff and require ALL seniors wear spanks under their outfits, including jeans and shorts.
I have also become very blunt. I find that best. Simply, tell the client that I’m not interested in shooting up her skirt. If the client is wearing spanks, then all the goods are covered and I am free to pose and move around without giving off the “creeper” vibe to anyone on set. I have had several dads come back to the studio after the shoot, shake my hand, and tell me how impressed they were that I took the time to care for the integrity of their daughters.
Q: What is the most challenging part of photographing seniors and how do you overcome it?
A: Creativity, for me. Most of our sessions fees (not including anything but time) average $600, prints and all other products sold at another time. So, if the clients are paying a huge session fee, then I want to make dang sure that they don’t get the same anything that someone in their school has. Yes, I might shoot the same location, but I make sure some of the elements are not the same as the last senior. I have changed my studio sessions to be what I would shoot for ad agencies. I will do true beauty shots and high-contrast, black and white editorial images. The only three backgrounds found in my studio are 18% gray, white, and a 10% gray cyc wall. I have gone as far as to put a swimming pool (cheep Wal-Mart above-ground one) in the studio. I couldn’t find anyone who would let me use theirs. Hahaha.
I really love fashion. It’s kind of like cat people, they’re really nuts about cats. They have like everything in the pet store and spoil them sick! I call it a real PASSION, and if one has passion then only they can understand all the efforts to make it happen. There is no reason for what they do and what drives them. Only that passion and their love is a reason.
I have a true passion for fashion photography.
Q: What are your most popular Simply Color Lab products to sell to high school seniors?
A: I sell the Fine Art Prints– mostly the black and white ones. I miss the days of printing finished images on oriental segal fiber. Those prints always had a certain tone to them. Well, I have finally gotten my files to render black and white with the same tones and quality that fiber had. Simply Color Lab now offers the media to complete the feel and quality of a fiber print.
Q: How do you encourage them to buy these products?
A: It’s simple. I have the same black and white image mounted and in the same frame without glass so my clients can touch and feel the print. It’s not rocket science to know what media print is the best.
Click Here for More Information About Craig Stidham
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