Shooting w/ actress, Oliva and some overdue good news!

Good morning, Steemit! I’m trying to get this post made before 1:30p.m. CST. I haven’t danced around the fact that 2017 has been a shit show for me […and most my friends] thus far. My Oma passed on February 16th, the exact same day my Father was killed by a drunk driver in 2001. @vermillionfox found out her store was closing, not only forcing her to look for a new job, but being faced with the reality of an entirely different career. She’s worked in retail her entire life and suffice it to say, that job will not exist in ten more years. Following my marathon photography tour during Viva Las Vegas, I came home with a brutal condition called meralgia paresthetica; a result of nerve damage from tightening my belt as I lost weight during the trip. I lost an entire month of work trying to manage the excruciating pain. @millsguthrie and I were rear ended in a three car collision two weeks ago […he’s okay. He has a very safe anchored 5 point harnessed car seat and after being checked out at Children’s hospital, he had no injuries] and I ended up with whiplash. Lastly, my MacBook Pro, the cornerstone to my entire livelihood […including Steemit], appeared to be in rapid decline. It wouldn’t wake from sleep more than half the time. When it did, it would reset my entire OS losing all unsaved work progress. That reality is the reason for my first, reluctant Power Down. 

Well, enough of the depressing 2017 occurrences! I’m having one of the best days of this year. As I write this, I’m on a fully functional MacBook Pro. Not a new one. My faithful 2012 Retina 2.3GHz Core i7. As it turns out, the problem was not a $1,300 logic board like the Genius Bar insisted. It was a third party application that installed itself to my start up settings. I dug deep in to some old Mac forums and saw similar known issues with other machines. I deleted the few apps in System Preferences, and since, all sleep/wake issues have been resolved. It’s far more than a convenience. It’s a sigh of relief that this machine can still operate, or at least offer to offset the costs of a new MacBook Pro assuming Apple releases something at WWDC next week.

The good news gets even better, though. In about an hour, I’ll be meeting Bob Ballard of Working Class Publishing at Minneapolis’ revered Triple Rock. I met Bob when he approached me during a book release party for my close friend and brilliant photographer, Shannon Brooke. Shannon just released her second coffee table book through Working Class Publishing titled “Vroom!” and I was at the party in Las Vegas to buy a copy and support my friend. Bob came up and introduced himself and said that he loved my work. He also said WCP was interested in doing a book together! As it turns out, their company is located in Wisconsin and this afternoon, they’re coming to the Twin Cities so we can discuss a book deal! No idea what to expect, but I adore Shannon and respect her immensely as an artist and business-woman. If she’s done two books with WCP, I have no doubt I’ll take that opportunity if they’ll have me. I’ll keep everyone here on Steemit up to date after today.

So, let’s get back to what brought up to the coffee table book conversation to begin with; the photography! Today’s selection is from a shoot with a beautiful actress I met in LA last year. Her name is Olivia and she was looking to update her headshots for auditions […you can imagine I get a lot of those clients in LA] and some dark pinup photos I’ve become know for, just for herself. 

This shoot was another that ended up being the third in a single day. Often times, by that point, I’m physically, mentally and creatively spent. I always find a way to push myself through and manage a great shoot, but it’s at a really high personal cost. This shoot was Oliva wasn’t like that. When arrived at the location, she was down to earth and offered me a chance to sit and relax. That goes a LONG way for an artist on the road. We talked, I got to know her a bit. She explained to me her path through acting and theater. Taking time for those conversations always help me invest in the shoot and the client while getting a better understanding of the images they’re looking for and why they hired me.

Oliva is a cute, petite, charming, fair-skinned redhead. When I arrived her hair was done in adorable curls and it just so happened that the entire perimeter of the home we were shooting was covered in rich, green ivy and plants. Couldn’t have come up with a better complimentary color palette if I tried. I love when that happens. Olivia was as professional as one can be. Our shoot through this massive home in Hollywood Hills was a playground for an artist that specializes in available light photography. Every room offered a variety of dark shadows with natural wood, and bright windows for natural light. 

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the photos! For more photography, art, illustration and thoughts on life in general, follow me @kommienezuspadt. Steem on!