I am a commercial photographer. I don’t shoot the portrait session with the 4 wallets and the 5×7. I shoot mostly models, i.E.people that have been hired to represent the company, fashion line or product that we’re shooting. Often there is a crew of art directors, fashion stylists, hair and make-up artists, clients, assistants, product stylists, prepers, caterers, …

However I have been getting more and more requests lately to photograph people for the people themselves, where the person is the hero of the shot and everything else becomes secondary. This genre of photography requires you to take photos of the person that’s being featured. You can’t use a stock shot for this. It needs to be this human being that has to be in front of your lens.

Grammy award winning producer, composer and conductor Julio Reyes.

Take for example this environmental portrait of Julio Reyes, the grammy award winning producer for Mark Anthony. Julio had asked me to photograph a recording session a few months ago and I had a great time documenting 35 musicians laying down a beautiful track for the new album. Mr. Reyes had asked me to photograph him for his media collateral at that point and we got our schedules lined up a few weeks ago to shoot in his sound studio. So what’s the secret ingredient that you always need for a great portrait?

(find out after the jump)

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I have been shooting for a new client today. 100 tulips for their website. Tomorrow we’ll photograph a few more plants. Here is our last shot for the day:

The last few jobs I have shot have been for a variety of jewelers. They have ranged from shooting $400,000.- rings at a jeweler’s store that has been established for over 100 years in Miami, to a brand new website that is launching a new line of custom designed watches to shooting for an old client again that distributes australian designed urban inspired jewelry.

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No, this is not a quick snapshot taken with a point and shoot, it is a complicated shot that was set up and lit, no the snap part of this photograph is the fact that 24 hours ago, I had not spoken with anyone from this company.

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I got an email from one of my clients last Friday evening, asking if I could shoot a product/packaging shot in one day. So monday they fedexed a package to me containing the packaging and product for their shoot. So was I able to complete the job in the extreme tight deadline I was given? (more…)

It’s been a very long time since I have been in the windy city! It feels good to be back – I think that may have a lot to do with the fact that it is not winter … We have been producing this catalog job for a few weeks prior to coming up here and have had a very successful shoot – barring the Chicago agent that pulled all of his male models from us a few hours before the casting, because of some issue that had nothing to do with us. Talk about getting a wrench into your production. Thanks to Ford Models Chicago, that came through and delivered – so thanks Ford! Way to go!
Bob, the art director on this job is an old friend of mine – we’ve known each other for 13 years now and are enjoying the opportunity to work together.

Art director, clients and stylist discussing a shot

With over 200,000,000 users facebook is a market that’s basically the size of a small country (well not so small) that has many clients tucked away. One of the ways of promoting my business is my page on facebook. Go ahead: become a fan!

This is from a client I shot a few weeks ago, but I thought I should start posting the nice things people say about me and my photography (I am blushing already)

“Thank you Pascal,

 

I was pleased to see everything come together and run as smooth as it did. I was looking forward to meeting you in person as well as being a part of the actual photo outing…but you know how it is…priorities. The feedback so far has confirmed that the outing was a success and has paved the way for future opportunities. I personally have appreciated the opportunity to work with a company “Photography by Depuhl” that understands and manages logistics as well as you have. The whole experience has been a very timely and positive one.”

Creative Director  • Poly-wood

Thanks for your kind words. I had a ball shooting for you and am thrilled that you are happy with my work. 

This shot is produced, propped, styled, photographed, retouched, … by yours truly.