MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ
Oct 2020Minnesota Governor, now Democratic VP canidate, photographed at the Governor’s residence in Saint Paul on Summit Ave.
In Fall 2020, Covid precautions were still heavily in place, so mostly was just myself and the Governor - I was impressed and how approachable and casual it all felt - chatting about anything from his vintage Scout truck to the paintings on the walls that he had been able to select personally from the MN Historical Society collection. Not pictured - when the family dogs were let into the house just ahead of the photo session, and the dogs started running full speed, narrowly missing all my light stands.
Minnesota Makers
Minnesota Makers is a collection of editorial and commercial projects featuring makers in Minnesota. Blending portrait and documentary approachs, this has been a series I’ve really enjoyed working on.
The chance to showcase makers—artists, artisans, and even athletes—doing what they do is what inspires me as a photographer. I find the juxtaposition of workmanship with the digital world to be interesting. I also enjoy learning about the particulars of each maker’s process or technique.
On most of these assignments, it’s only me, the subject, and minimal lighting equipment. My challenge is to capture and supplement the natural light in the space while staying respectfully out of the way.
My goal for every session is to create a series of images that honor the maker’s work as well as their personalities. Most of the images in this gallery were featured in magazines, including Minnesota Monthly and Midwest Living. Several were part of a campaign for Red Wing Shoe Company.
ESPN - COVER STORY, JUSTIN JEFFERSON
November 2022 Taking the record for most yards in his first three seasons, Viking wide receiver Justin Jefferson has cemented himself as an all-star within the NFL. Photographed during a bye week, just after the cover shoot, Justin made what could be the most iconic catch of the season against the Bills. While on the field, Justin becomes “Jets”, a ‘swaggy’, confident persona. But off the field, Justin is a quieter guy who loves to spend time with family - including his brother Jordan, a former LSU quarterback, someone whose backyard throws helped shape Justin into an icon of the NFL.
Editors: Nick Galac, Rob Booth
Art Direction: Cornel Beard
Styling: Chanelle Whimper and Darnell Booker
Grooming: Robb Kelly
Digitech: David Anderson
Assistants: Evan Frost, Greg Addison
Studio: Studio Q
WATCH THE FIVE, 2 Minute Mini-documentaries:
Red Wing Shoe Company
June 2021:
Jamie Kvamme - Marketing Manager
Ani Djaferian - Art Director
The Red Wing Shoe Company is an iconic American brand with a history that stretches back more than 100 years. In June 2021, I was brought in to shoot a mix of portrait and documentary images as part of the brand’s “Red Wing Made” campaign.
My work involved spending two days at Red Wing’s factory and tannery in Red Wing, Minnesota. The campaign’s objective was to spotlight the people of Red Wing as well as the process behind their heritage boots. Totaling more than 200 steps, Red Wing’s time-honored process starts in their own leather tannery and goes all the way through cutting, stitching, and lasting each boot. Our primary focus, however, was on the hands that do the work.
We were up against a tight timeline: there was much to capture in two short days. Plus, the space we had to move around within the factory was limited. To streamline our shoot, I brought in a nimble crew who could work without impeding the manufacturing process and scouted the location ahead of time to target our approach. To allow our art director to see images in real time, without tethering to a large digi cart, I was able to bring a new streamlined wireless system, sending images to the AD’s iPad.
Our photography shot list included both stills and motion shots. The goal was to achieve consistency—i.e., no difference in aesthetics—between the two. This was one of those times where my photography and videography capabilities came into play. I was able to shoot both stills and motion, which helped us achieve the aesthetic consistency we needed.
The final product I delivered to my client was a library of more than 100 final images, including motion clips that were used as gifs and carousels, primarily on Instagram. It was an honor to showcase the people behind the products, some of whom have worked on the factory floors for decades.