Casper Model Call
It was Saturday, January 4th 2020 and I woke up to my alarm buzzing at 3:45 am…It wasn’t for the typical sunrise expedition. Instead, this alarm was yelling at me to get on the road to Casper, WY. I was invited by a local Casper photographer named Michael Christopher (@wanderlust_wyo & Michael Christopher Photography LLC) to help participate in a local Time For Print Modeling call, and having never been to Casper, I graciously accepted. I met Michael at an off camera flash photography workshop back in the summer of 2019 and he was just starting to get into off camera lighting and now six months later, he’s hosting meetups!
We had agreed to meet up at Metro Coffee (@Metrocoffee) located at 241 S David St, Casper, WY 82601 between 8-9am. I arrived, quickly ordered my coffee, and started mingling with some of the models, other local photographers, and Jesika (@Rae_jesika & @skincarebyvondi). Jesika is an outstanding hair and makeup artist out of the Casper area, and had a background working in the Los Angeles area. Michael had organized the event so that it was based on a draw system. One photographer would draw a model, and then draw the location where they would shoot. You would get an hour with each session and then we would all meet back at Metro Coffee to draw your next set. We ended up shooting a total of 3 sessions. At first, I was a little apprehensive about this as I’m one that really likes to style everything to tie in together (model, wardrobe and location to be cohesive). I figured this was a good opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and just see what the outcome was.
My first draw I was paired with two models, since we were a few photographers short. I drew the lovely Morgan (@thefuriouslittlechilean) and Tayler (@taylerannxoxo). I was really hoping for an indoor location first since it was WINDY as hell this day (and everyday in Wyoming I guess). I was in luck as we drew a local coffee/tea business called The Bourgeois Pig (@thebourgeoispigcasper) located at 114 W 2nd St, Casper, WY 82601. Right away when I got in the location I knew I wanted to use some studio lighting since it was very dark in there. I also had envisioned a few editing styles I was already going to apply to the scene since it had a vintage type of vibe in there. Most of the shots I was using a Canon 6d mkii, Canon 85mm 1.4L IS, Godox ad200 strobe with a Magmod Grid.
My second draw was with the very talented Sydnie (@misssydnielee) and we had to brave the elements for this one. We drew a location around the corner, at a bank. Normally, I wouldn’t be very excited to shoot at a bank, but this one had some great pillars to use. I love incorporating any type of architecture or landscapes into my portraits so I really focused in on this spot. I didn't have an assistant with me and really could have used one as the wind was just ridiculous…I set up my Godox ad200 with a Magsphere on a Flashpoint c-stand and was still worried the wind was going to blow it over! I was mostly using my Canon 6d mkii, Canon 70-200 2.8Lii IS and Godox trigger to achieve these shots.
Behind the Scenes showing my lighting setup and pose (final image below)
Sydnie was definitely more of a sport than me when it came to braving the wind, but I had enough…It was time to get the hell inside. So we headed back to Metro Coffee and proceeded to just shoot inside there. I used the colorful walls to create some unique shots. Sydnie is actually a writer and is getting a book published, so this set worked out really well!
Behind the Scenes of the set below
My third location draw was at The Yellowstone Garage (@yellowstonegaragebarandgrill) and my subject was Ben (@soggycardboard1056). We decided to use some of the old gas station pumps inside as well as the pool table to get some different looks. As our session was winding down, and with a whole rack of pool balls already paid for…we decided to enjoy a quick game of 8ball. Ben won. By a lot. 😂
I was heading back to Metro Coffee and chatting with another photographer Dan Adams (@racerdanny43), when I noticed the elements were lining up for a really great sunset. Having caught a really good sunrise earlier that day, I wanted to try and get a good sunset portrait. I asked if anyone inside would want to take a few minutes to try and pull something off. Serayla (@rayla_renee) jumped at the opportunity and I was happy she did because she was styling a rose gold dress 😍. Our host Michael assisted, and we literally ran to catch the sunset at David Street Station (@Davidstreetstation)…we managed to pull off this image at the buzzer!
As we wrapped the session, Michael had a surprise in store for all the attendees. He had partnered with Sunrise Lanes (@the307sunrise) to have them pick us up in a stretch limo and take us to their facility. There, we were treated to a buffet of food options including my favorite, prime rib!
I was really glad to be a part of this event as it was put together very well. Michael will be hosting another event like this, but expecting a larger turnout of both models and photographers. I would highly encourage anyone to join in if they are looking for a great way to build their portfolio (both models and photographers). Here is a link to the event page https://www.facebook.com/events/476755409904180/ for the March 28th event, if you would like to attend! I’d love to hear what some of your favorite shots are in the comments section below!