This past November I spent a few hours in the studio with the band Boxkar shooting their new promo material. These guys have become a sort of local legend in the Fox Valley music scene over the past several years and it was great to finally connect with them.

Many thanks go out to our stylists Tobin and Jai for helping out on the shoot. Typically with this crew, we have some pretty good times.. Some awkward, some ridiculous.

From the 2011 archives; Here is a shot I put together a few months back for my accountant John, at Trusted Accounting. He’s the guy that runs a tight ship, always presents himself in a humble manner and you want to hug whenever he walks in the door. By creating images like this, he was able to strip away the typical local-guy mentality and give himself a New York personality. John took the risk of having a powerful image as opposed to the classic insurance salesman type headshot.

Risk is good. It sells.

Here are some recent tears from the September 2011 issue of Fox Cities Magazine:

Every year at this time I see blog posts pop-up around the net from photographers in the industry going into detail about the highlights of the year, their favorite photos from a busy shooting season and a wrap-up of the year’s accomplishments. Sure, I suppose I could talk about all the photo shoots we did, the places we have been and my goals for 2012, but after our craziest year to-date, it just doesn’t feel right to sit and pat myself on the back. This post has nothing to do with that kind of stuff. Rather, I want to speak to the past three years of my life as a photographer and put the spotlight in a different place.

Often times, credit doesn’t get given to what truly happens behind the scenes of making the photos I have in my portfolio. To be honest, so much of what I do truly boils down to one of the most influential people I get to hang-out with every day…

T-Nack (a nickname affectionately coined by my wife Melanie)

In October of 2008, Trevor came with me to Chicago to hang out with a group of fellow photographers. Having known him for years prior, I saw something in him that most people his age take years to develop; maturity, drive and focus. During this trip, I offered him a part-time job as an assistant and an all around stress eliminating person for my business. With little knowledge of the photo industry, he gladly accepted the job. Only if he knew then what he was in for..

We spent 2009 working out of my basement. Trevor did his job from day-to-day, working a handful of hours a week amidst the daily routine of my family and three screaming girls. No kidding, he even had a baby monitor on his desk. Yet, he never complained. He saw promise in me, put faith in my work and remained dedicated to his job.

In January of 2010, Trevor became my full-time studio manager as we moved into our Appleton studio space. Finally, he escaped the screaming kids. Well, sorta. He still has to give up his Tootsie Pops once a week to appease the beasts. Yet, much of that year was spent enduring huge growing pains and awkwardly finding our direction in the industry.

As business started to pick-up speed, Trevor became my Production Manager. I was at a place of total burn out late last year and knew he was willing to step-up to the plate to help alleviate my stress and ensure we were consistently headed in the right direction. Having Trevor become an integral part of my business and more importantly a member of my family, has been the best decision Melanie and I have made in years. He has brought his vision to the table and has been instrumental in guiding us into a brighter future.

Every once in a while, Trevor will get a random email from an aspiring photographer asking how he/she can become a studio manager, producer or photography assistant. Occasionally they tell him how awesome it must be to do his job, to work with a photographer shooting cool photos and get to go out on some great photo shoot. Usually he’ll respond with a nice email detailing all the qualifications, a few suggestions about getting a similar job and a install pinch of humor.

What isn’t often discussed is the cold, hard truth;

Trevor has had to put up with a ton of shit over the years. My drama, my bad attitudes, my lack of understanding for his ideas, my frustration, my burn out, my kids, my wife, occasional business struggles, my childish fits over trivial matters, hours spent in silence over a disagreement and the list goes on..

His job is not always so glamorous either. Long hours, stressful working constraints, tight deadlines, physical exhaustion, difficult clients, taking personal blame for my screw-ups and a need to remain positive through it all when everything starts to fall apart at the seams.

For all this, I am truly grateful for Trevor and everything he does. The good times we’ve had together over the past three years have undoubtedly overshadowed all the tough times we’ve been through. We’ve laughed together, cried together, done ridiculous stuff that can never be discussed, redefined the term “GFY”, have never taken ourselves too seriously, shared some huge accomplishments, prayed together and have become a family.

Here’s a look at his job over the past few years:

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COUNTLESS LIGHT TESTS. Trevor has had to sit through hundreds of light tests, both on-location and in-studio.. patiently standing there until I dialed it all in.

AND WEDDING LIGHT TESTS…. Same pose, same lighting, same blank look. Just a different location. Week after week after week after…

LIGHT TESTS ON LOCATION………….

HOLDING LIGHTS. The classic “VAL” (Voice Activated Lightstand). This is the point during most photo shoots I end up getting some dirty looks and a sense of frustration. Especially when I’m rather vague about “feathering the light a little more”…

CAMERAS. Occasionally the job entails running video, shooting photos or getting behind-the-scenes shots for the blog. And sometimes from a bathroom..

SCHLEPPING GEAR. Just ask Trevor about how fun this part really is. He has a good relationship with his back and arms. Odd how he always carries Ibuprofen…

BREAKING GEAR. We NEVER EVER break anything……. Such as lights:

…or lenses.

WORKING CONDITIONS. Whether it’s 10 degrees below zero, 95 degrees or in pouring rain and hailstorms, Trevor manages to get his hustle on without complaint.

Trevor’s job entails some unusual tasks as well. Such as helping dudes with their ties…

Pouring drinks for clients during shoots…

ALWAYS WORKING. A lot of times you’ll find Trevor answering emails when others are having fun, taking phone calls while walking into a gas station to pee or taking a call from home at 11pm.

And let’s not forget painting sets..

…and shoveling snow so we can get our gear into a location.

DOWN TIME. Lots and LOTS of boring down time. Like the old saying goes, “Hurry up and wait”.

PRODUCTION. Trevor does a lot of directing, producing, logistical coordination and provides a ton of support on shoots. This stuff gets tedious at times.

TRAVELING. We’ve been across the country and abroad. These sights are getting more and more familiar. Time spent away from family can be draining and the hours spent doing so, ever exhausting.

There have been a few rough mornings along the way too…

PHOTO BOMBS. Trevor has this “knack” for dropping into countless photos, alleviating stress by finding humor in most circumstances.

SOME AWESOME TIMES. We’ve had some great times throughout the past three years, with more to come in the future!

Keeping my kids in line:

Dancing:

Posing for me:

Let’s us use his butter and towels without him knowing it:

Finding beer at weddings, when others wouldn’t have the guts to do so..

Keeping the beer cold and one in his hand at all times:

Letting me Photoshop the hell out of him..

Hanging out with industry folks, not talking shop and always keeping it real:

Pretending to dance for lighting demos at workshops:

And being ridiculous.

 

At a recent portfolio review in NYC, I was talking to a photo editor about “our work”. She questioned me why I say “we” and “our” when talking about the work in my book. My photography is not about me. It’s about us.

This post is for you Trevor. You have become a part of my family and a member of our team. We love you more than any blog post could ever express. I can’t wait for what the future holds dude! Thanks for being along for the bumpy ride… and still holding on tight.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
~dave

PS… you should have more than enough new Facebook profile photos now. GFY.

Not the typical work you see showcased in my portfolio, but I am beginning to take on more product-based advertising work in the background here at the studio. These shots are from some tabletop work we recently did for Ecological Surfactants, a company specializing in chemical free, sustainable and eco-friendly consumer-based cleaning products.