portraits – Brian Krecik

Category: portraits

May

Shobhanna Sunder – Summer afternoon in Bloomington

The following images are from an earlier shoot while here in Bloomington. Read More

Apr

A Walk in the Park

A cool, late summer afternoon walk in the park with a soft breeze and gorgeous sunlight. Read More

Nov

A Night to remember: An advertising shoot at the Crazy Horse Restaurant

A Night at the Crazy Horse Restaurant

The results of a photo shoot from The Crazy Horse that ran in Bloom Magazine’s Distinctly Bloomington and is running in this next years edition of Visit Bloomington. All of this was done in part due to the wonderfully gracious and beautiful Crazy Horse ladies that tend bar and help manage this fine organization and the wonderfully talented Patrick Siney that pulled the advertisement together.

This was a fantastic chance to work directly with the staff on site while the bar was still open. While there, my assistant and I had to set up soft boxes, strobes, meter the lights, and work over the din of a game that was on at the time all while our gracious models were served free drinks. The shoot itself started off with the food so that we could have this arranged before we started in with our models.

It was a tough shoot to pull together as we were in a dimly lit room with little room to navigate. At times I had considered photographing and simply layering the image but in the end I am glad that we worked the shots the way we did. The warm glow of the copper bar really adds a unique color to the image that draws the eyes.

Off in the wings were the managers and servers that were watching while I and Patrick discussed how the food looked and arranged the scene, first with a drink infused with basil, next came the beer. In the end it was a blast creating still life images with another artist as the push/pull from our own creative perspectives really added volumes to the final work.

Exceptional food, one of the largest choices of beer in Bloomington, an impressive selection of alcohol, and service that simply can’t be beat. Why wouldn’t you want to hang out and grab a bite to eat at the Crazy Horse Emporium.

Apr

What is a comp card…

What is a comp card (and why do I need one?)

A comp card, also known as a z-card (pronounced zed card). Whether you are in dance, acting, singing or getting into modeling they have been an industry standard for some time. This is a 6″x 9″ card with a head shot on the front and 3-5 images on the back that showcases your talent and is used with agencies, auditions and self promotion. Their purpose is solely to show as much variety as possible and help the casting director envision you in the role that you are applying. As expected these cost money and need to be done professionally. If you wait until you are in Chicago, New York, or LA you will spend upwards of $500 – $1500 (and up) just for the session/sitting fee. Unlike musicians that only need their portraits updated about every 5 years, performing artists need to update more often. This is because we all age and your portfolio needs to be kept up to date and updated every 1-2 years especially if you put on/take off weight, cut or dye your hair. Any change in appearance will require an updated zed card.

A comp card is an important resource in addition to a head-shot. It allows you to introduce yourself to industry professionals in a much more diverse way than with a head-shot alone. If you’re looking for a commercial agent, submitting with a comp card will give you a much better chance of meeting them, because you’re showing them a variety of looks. They’ll see you as significantly more likely to book a job, be it print or on camera. If you already have a commercial agent, a comp card will allow them to submit you for print work as well as on camera and voice overs. This opens up an entire new avenue to generate income.

Comp cards are NOT just for models as every actor should have one. Generally an models comp card is much like a spread in Vogue Magazine while an actor is lifestyle that can include any form of action style images to help the person seeing your comp card to envision you in the role being cast. Ideally the images should look like tear sheets from a magazine ad. While fashion work is reserved for models there is a lot of print work available for actors to help sell their products. Click here to see day rates for print work, specifically for actors and “real” people.

Sep

Portraits – Life filtered through the eyes of an artist

This past summer a neighbor asked if I could step in and take portraits of their family and their 6-month old child. Now to say that babies are not my thing is not true. I love babies to death, though they are a conundrum of emotions that one simply can’t direct and it requires loads of patience and an eye for detail. To say that I prefer to stay out of cliché or the images that are simply overdone and become almost formula-based these days is an understatement. So… here I am, asked to do this shoot and I ask myself, “How can I make it both meaningful and endearing…?”

To that end the logical response was to apply my artistic vision to how I viewed babies. Emotional, questioning, seeking, seeing the world through a whole new and unexplored vantage – one that we could never in a million years recapture. To do this I let the baby do what babies do best, play, have fun, make up their own rules and choose what they want, and when they want. I then took a page from Henri Cartier-Bresson and waited the long hours for the decisive moment when all clicked into place. Four hours later and I think I came approached my moment of zen.

I hope you enjoy this short yet enjoyable time that I spent with this family. To say that I relish the time spent is an understatement. My one true wish is that they enjoy the images as much as I had in creating them.

Oct

Arrogant Bastard – Daniel Krecik

This past weekend was a huge bust for myself with regards to time – though I enjoyed every single moment. It isn’t often that my brother has a chance to stop down to visit, even if it is to run the Hilly 100. I felt compelled to document this special occasion with a studio portrait to commemorate this milestone of his. Congrats Dan!

Aug

Apollo Quad – "No Gods, No Masters"

A behind the scenes image from our photo shoot this past weekend with Apollo Quad band members. Here we decided to literally deconstruct the roses. It is amazing how far one is willing to take their craft in the effort to get just the right image that conveys the visual emotion that the artists wish to covey.

They were fantastic to work with! Be sure to check them out this week and listen to some wicked lyrics and music. This session was setup in preparation for their upcoming album, “No Gods, No Masters” for which I am just putting the final touches on the rough draft of the images. The lyrics and music refuses to be defined as it blends notes of jazz, funk, rap, and rock in blend of alternative hip hop. Their final album art will be available to view on their website any for purchase with their album cover.

For additional information on the band, to download or listen to sample title tracks, or if you would like to book them for a gig contact them through their Facebook page or email them at Apolloquad@gmail.com.