Creativity is a fickle thing. Sometimes, it feels like you have ideas pouring out of your every crevice and other times, no matter how much you strain, things are kind of slow on the creative front. Uninspiring. Lack luster. With experience, you come to realize that it’s just a phase. That it won’t last and that sooner or later, you’ll have more great ideas and be creative with the best of them. I guess this pattern of creative highs and lows is pretty standard for us creative types.
The reason for my getting all philosophical on you with this creative stuff is because of the shoot you’ll see posted below. The famed Granny Panty shoot took place on August 20, 2009 and the date I actually got around to editing it as a whole? Today, February 7, 2010, almost 6 months later. Holy cow!!
Why did it take so long? I’m not sure if I can verbalize the reason eloquently, save to say that when I downloaded the images to my laptop all those months ago, I just wasn’t inspired. It wasn’t the concept or the models (who, as you’ll see from the images below are quite exquisite), I’m not really sure what it was, except that the editing muse failed to show up. Usually, I have a very clear idea of how I want to “process” a particular shoot, but back in August, nothing seemed right. I tried a little bit of this and a little bit of that and was not at all satisfied, so I choose to put the whole project on the back-burner. Until today. Today, the muse arrived in full force and I knew exactly what I needed to do to the images to fully realize the vision that Nikki and I had all these months ago. (Big apologies to the the entire crew for it taking so bloody long to get this done, but it wasn’t my fault!!!)
Those of you who are familiar with my work or know me personally, know that I put almost as much effort into my retouching as I do on the day of the shoot. Post-production is a lot more than an after-thought to me. My creative vision is incomplete without a deliberate post process. While there is no substitute for capturing the images in the best possible way, to me, what comes out of the camera is just the rough draft.
All in all, I’m glad I let this one sit and marinate.
Models: Erica and Anne; Stylist: Nikki Sutton; MUA: Kiralee Hubbard; Hair: Irina Green; Asst: Esther Wolf
February 7, 2010 - 9:33 pmNikki - So, um, yeah. That top photo just made me punch myself in the face. Bar none, the best $.95 I have ever spent. (the nude backless bra)
Erica, you are giving Natalie a run for her money for having my favorite hands. :-D
February 8, 2010 - 10:41 amEsther - You never cease to amaze me!
February 19, 2010 - 9:44 america - i literally just laughed out loud at nikki's comment. hahaha.
these are so beyond amazing.
A few months back, a groovy little boutique called IndySwank, opened up in Fountain Square, a near-downtown area of Indianapolis which is part blue collar neighborhood and part beehive of artistic and creative activity by those who ardently believe in the locale’s imminent recovery and renaissance. Personally, I am a fan of FS. It’s got a lot of potential and some of city’s best artists and most notable cultural movers and shakers either live or work there.
To make a long story short, store opens, store needs website, website needs photos and voila, that’s where I come in!
We did the shoot in and outside of the store itself – it was a actually a great location offering a nice variety of backgrounds and colors – just how I like it. Courtney, our lovely model, did a great job, especially considering that this was her first time in front of the camera!
Since the shoot…which took place back in early October, Indy Swank has been doing great, hosting artists on its walls and making a name for itself as Indy’s sexiest and most fashion-savvy consignment store. Check it out if you get a chance! (Incidentally, the store just won the Metromix Best Clothing Boutique title – congrats!)
A few months ago, the crew and I got together to shoot a concept that we referred to as Gothic Rapunzel. Nikki came up with the story of a lonely woman, locked away in an attic who is wishful for things she’s never had, yet at ultimately owning her choices. We do not know why she is locked away from everyone else, only that she is.
We were fortunate enough to secure Kipp Normand’s wonderful studio at the Harrison Center filled with unique ephemera and strange collectibles as a location and it was the perfect backdrop for the concept.
Basically, what I did here with the light is use the one big window in the studio as either a backlight or fill and then one AB800 as it’s counter. That’s it.
The wonderful make up was done by Kiralee Hubbard of Eyemax Makeup and the big hair was by, you guessed it, Irina Green. Vlad helped with lights…when he wasn’t taking a nap in my truck…this shoot took about 7 hours what with the elaborate hair and make-up and the multiple clothing changes.
Some of the images below are also part of my current show at IndySwank called…Rapunzel. If you haven’t seen, it’s not too late to check it out – the images will be on display through the end of January.
In November, I had an opportunity to be one of the three photographers working on the St. V’s Foundation Campaign ads. I got to shoot at three locations – the Mammography Van, Women’s Health Boutique and Christel House and work with the awesome folks at Hi Def Pictures and also Well Done Marketing.
I was doing some data management, you know the fun stuff, like backing up files, deleting images that should never see the light of day and making sure that my trusty laptop was ready for the new year – its memory banks unclogged, so to speak, when I realized that I have shot a ton of headshots this year. Some forty plus sessions with over 60 people served!
I don’t typically blog these types of sessions – not exciting enough I figure, but I was inspired to do the collage below to showcase a random selection. My headshot sessions is really the only time that I come in contact with the retail public, if you will, and it’s been a great pleasure to meet so many fun, talented and outstanding individuals. I’ve had the honor of working with book authors, radio personalities, real estate developers, architects, musicians, actors, entrepreneurs, public speakers and many others. I can’t believe that this is my job – meeting cool people and making them look good while spinning 80s music and cracking silly jokes. I am very blessed!
January 9, 2010 - 5:45 pmEsther - This is really cool! Great job!
January 9, 2010 - 8:30 pmpolina - thanks esther! how many of these did you help me out on? :-)
January 17, 2010 - 5:23 pmRaquel Richardson - Great work - I'm glad I found you through Peter. I look forward to working with you many times over in 2010!
I’m hitting you with back-to-back blog posts!! It’s a New Year’s miracle!!! (Don’t get used to it though!)
This was another shoot I did for Indianapolis Dine. The shoot was all about holiday cocktails and what better way to showcase the said cocktails than to pair them up with two of the most beautiful models in town, Amy and Erica?
While Ashlie played bartender, Nikki, worked magic with dresses, tulle and accessories and Kiralee did some amazing make-up (see close-ups). We kept the cocktail sampling to a minimum…hey! we’re professionals after all!!
So below are some of the images that the magazine used in their feature. Unfortunately, the actual tearsheet is quite washed out as far as color goes because it’s in CMYK instead of RGB color. I promise that the reds and burgundies really do pop in the actual magazine.
So way, way back in August, I shot a fun little feature for Indianapolis Dine. It was all about beer and not-your-typical-run-of-the-mill bar snacks to go along with said beer. We shot all the items in studio first, then took our three models off to The Brass Ring in Fountain Square to do some “action” shots of them stuffing their faces. I think our talent was hungry or maybe there wasn’t enough food, but it all disappeared rather quickly – I had to shoot fast! Below is a handful of my favorites from this shoot.
Art Director: Ashlie Wilson; Stylist: Nikki Sutton; MUA/Hair: Hairspray Salon; Assistant: Travis Little
Models: Megan Martz (Helen Wells Agency), Craig Dukate (Helen Wells Agency) & Donald Burlock, Jr
Chef: Patrick Whetstone
Quick video of the photoshoot: (videography by Matt Kiefer)
January 2, 2010 - 11:30 pmTyler Koontz - Sometimes I wish life were in technicolor. And in your own right, with heritage to film and the style of what it was, you shoot our everyday as I like to pretend it was, but really what is just now. Terrific.
January 3, 2010 - 7:19 amstacy able - Love it Polina!! So good to see a blog post from you ;) The styling and emotion (not to mention good food) is all perfectly lit and captured. Great job as always! Such a unique style!
January 3, 2010 - 10:20 ampolina - thanks guys! i really appreciate the feedback and i'm glad you enjoyed the pics!
January 3, 2010 - 2:59 pmNikki - I love your depth of field with this shoot. So lovely.
So if you’re in Indianapolis tomorrow night, whether you actually live here or are just jetting through on your way to Europe or something, please come by and check out the opening of my show at the Indy Swank store/showroom in the Murphy Building in Fountain Square, starting at 6pm. The opening is part of the usual First Friday festivities so there will be lots of other things to do and see downtown tomorrow night (download map of participating galleries HERE), including the grand opening of IMOCA a few doors down from Indy Swank.
The show’s ten images are all part of the same series that goes by the lovely name of Rapunzel. Hope to see some of you there tomorrow! If you do come, please don’t forget to stop by the “casting couch” – i’m going to have my camera set-up to record the revelers and also to scout some fresh talent. After the show, I’ll post a slideshow of everything that happens on that couch…so beware…:-D
The images would not have been created had it not been for the help of my dynamite team of experts:
Art Direction/Styling/Modeling by Nikki Sutton; Amazing make-up by Kiralee Hubbard; Huge-ass hair by the queen of big hair herself, Irina Green and lighting assistance by the one and only Vladimir Osherov. And last but not least, a huge thank you to Kipp Normand for the use of his amazing studio of weird and wonderful collectibles.
So now that it’s basically winter, I am going to post a fall story. Go figure!
A few weeks ago, I did a shoot for Cafe Yarns, a local business that specializes in knit clothing and accessories; Hats, gloves, scarves and the like. The owner, a Naptown Roller Girl, (Joan of Dark to her many fans) is a woman of many talents clearly, having also published a book of knitting projects called “Knockdown Knits” and finding the time to teach a knitting class on top of kicking some serious ass at Roller Derby!
The knitted items are adorable and super cosy! I got those green gloves and am anxiously awaiting the completion of a nubby, fuzzy scarf to round out my collection.
Big thanks to the creative team:
Models: Nikki and Trinity; Stylist: Nikki Sutton & T’ai Rising-Moore, MUA: T’ai Rising-Moore; Hair: Carolyn Cuttill; Assistant: Esther Wolf
by polina
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