En Forme magazine commissioned me to capture a portrait of Nicole Glover, a Norfolk-based author. En Forme was hoping I could create something beyond a typical portrait. They wanted me to make something magical that incorporated elements from Nicole’s writing.

Creative direction + room for expression = perfection. Let’s rock.

Nicole’s writing is a mashup of historical African American fantasy fiction. I thought a levitation image (magic) in a period-appropriate setting (history) would be visually captivating and pay homage to Nicole’s work.

I called Nicole to see if she would be interested in dressing up in late-1800s garb and to go on a photographic adventure with me. She was. I got giddy.

Step 2 – The Sketch

The elements I wanted to pull in from Nicole’s writing included birds, papers, a constellation and some other magical elements. I also wanted to leave plenty of room in the top for the magazine title and some darker room in the lower right for additional text.

Oh yeah, this is art.

Step 3 – Secure the Location

The first location that came to mind was the Hunter House Museum in the Freemason neighborhood of Norfolk. The Hunters chose to have their home live on as a museum of decorative arts and furnishings from the Victorian era. The interior look in one of the bedrooms was perfect and the two block walk from my studio was a bonus convenience.

The museum’s staff, Hanna and Renee, were very accommodating and even volunteered to assist during the shoot. Huzzah!

Step 4 – Get the Props

The Dress. I’ve really enjoyed working with the fine folks at Echoes of Time in the past for costumes. They came through again! They had the perfect dress and shoe combo for Nicole.

The Rest. The only other props I needed were pages from a book. Everything else was already at the Hunter House (tea set and antique books) or would be added in Photoshop (birds, stars, mouse). I just ripped blank pages from one of my Moleskin journals. I liked the size, color, and look of them.

Step 5 – Shoot the Shot

The big day came and the Hunter House crew was so helpful (see below).

There was one obstacle we had to overcome–Nicole wasn’t allowed to sit in the antique chair due to structural concerns of the chair. That meant additional blending work in Photoshop. So we shot an image of the empty chair and then images of Nicole in a different chair. You do what you gotta do, yo.

The final image was a composite of over 20 images and stock elements, including:

• Blank scene
• Nicole in chair
• Books individually
• Tea pot on table
• Tea pot floating
• Pages being tossed (lots of these)
• Birds
• Mouse
• Digitally created stars and light trails
• Textures

Step 6 – Edit

It took a while, ya’ll.

One of the biggest visual changes was converting the scene from day to night. We had limited access to the museum, so shooting at night was not an option. But the night time scene is more mysterious–it had to be done!

Many elements were added, including lots of shadowing/blending and subtleties like scratches on the window glass.

I recorded a timelapse of 80% of the edit. I forgot at the end to turn it back on after one of my breaks for a donut or something. Sorry about that. At any rate, here we go:

The Final

I delivered two different versions, one with the constellation and one without. En Forme opted for the constellation-free option for the cover and the full version for the article spread.

This was such an invigorating and rewarding project. I’m incredibly thankful. Shoutout to:

• Clay at En Forme. Thank you for trusting in me to create something cover-worthy and encouraging me along the way.
• Nicole Glover. Thank you for being willing to go on this photo adventure with me and trusting me to celebrate the literary worlds you create in photo form.
• Hunter House Museum. Ya’ll were so fun to work with and made this thing a reality.

There’s much to be said about Nicole’s work, and Ben Swenson did an excellent job articulating it in En Forme. Give his article a read.

Finally, support great work by a local author and check out Nicole’s work.

The post How I Created A Magical Image for En Forme Magazine’s Cover appeared first on Jared Beasley Photography.

David and Mary are new to the 757 and they found me through the Internet when searching for an elopement photographer. I’m so glad they did. I had a blast getting to know them and share one of my favorite photography locations in Hampton Roads–First Landing State Park.

I captured them as they climbed on downed trees, ducked and dodged Spanish moss, scampered barefoot on the inlet beach, and rolled around in the grass. It was an adventure.

Below are some highlights. You can purchase prints here: https://prints.jaredbeasley.net/davidandmaryselopement/

The post David & Mary’s Elopement | First Landing State Park appeared first on Jared Beasley Photography.

Carrie was roomies with my wifey back in college, so I’ve known her for a minute. She’s a wonderful human being and it’s been a joy getting to know Peter over the past couple of months. Everyone had a marvelous time at the wedding despite the heat on the grounds of Henry Horton State Park. But enough talk–to the photos!

Here are the highlights. Click here to view the full set and purchase prints.

Mad props to the vendors:
• Flowers – Olive and Birch
• Dress – Poss Bridal
• Venue – Henry Horton State Park

Click here to view the full set and purchase prints.

The post Peter & Carrie’s Wedding | Henry Horton State Park appeared first on Jared Beasley Photography.

My homie, Jon Hargreaves, created Harhar as a passion project and I’m so stoked for him. He commissioned me to capture images for Harhar’s first lookbook using his papa’s Canon A-1. The A-1 is a historically significant camera. It was the first SLR to offer an electronically controlled programmed autoexposure mode. Behold:

And now, the digitals. No filter or edits, just that film goodness straight out of the lab.

Get yo’self one of these damn good hats and support my boy, Jon: The Damn Good Hat

The post Harhar Goods Lookbook | Norfolk, VA appeared first on Jared Beasley Photography.

This shoot was inspired by the Finding Rembrandt tutorial by Chris Knight. I 100% recommend it for folks who are interested in studio photography. Following Chris’ direction, I created this look with a three light setup which you can learn more about in Chris’ tutorial. The look attempts to recreate the style of a classic Rembrandt painting.

The costumes are from Echoes of Time in Virginia Beach, which is hands down the best costume shop in the area. Cat Meadows rocked the look like a champ (it was her first time in a corset!). Here are my faves from the shoot:

The post Finding Rembrandt | Studio appeared first on Jared Beasley Photography.

Give it a read.

Thanks to team at AIGA for the feature. If you’re a designer, or simply interested in design, give your local AIGA chapter a look. It can be a great community for folks on a similar journey.

The post Featured by AIGA Hampton Roads appeared first on Jared Beasley Photography.

1) Define the look you’re after

Requirements for headshots vary based on your career field. For example, actors have pretty strict standards (i.e. 8X10, color, no accessories, etc.) whereas most other fields leave more room for creativity.

I shoot headshots in one of three lighting configurations: natural, studio, and studio light on-location. Each offers a different look and feel. Ultimately, you need to define what your goals are for the image and the look will naturally follow.

2) Wear appropriate attire & makeup

Attire

While clothes are an important consideration, they should not be the focus of the image–you are. So, avoid flashy clothing that could dominate the image. A good rule of thumb is to dress how you would when meeting a new client. Follow these guidelines:

• Stick to solids, avoid patterns and stripes
• Avoid trendy looks
• Wear something you’re comfortable in
• Match your wardrobe to your brand aesthetic, if applicable

Makeup

Keep your hair and makeup within your norm. My preference is concealer and basic makeup for a clean beauty look. If you’re afraid of looking washed out, you can turn up the volume a bit. Regardless, make sure you focus on the most important feature–your eyes–to draw the viewer into your expression.

Men can benefit from a bit of makeup too. A simple powder or blotting paper will help remove shine and make your face look fresh and camera ready.

If you’re in doubt, hire a professional.

3) Delight your photographer

Roughly 5% of the people I photograph for headshots enjoy being in front of a camera. My job is to help you look your best and actually enjoy the process. But here are a few things that will make you more comfortable during the shoot:

Be honest and communicate. Do you believe you have a good side? Let it be known. Likewise, if there is a feature of your face that you don’t like or something that you are self-conscious of, make sure it’s communicated prior to shooting. Photographers get really close and personal with your face during the editing process so there’s no need to hide anything.

Bring clothing options. Even if you’re doing a single look, having an additional jacket and/or shirt allows some room for error and serves as a plan B if you happen to spill something on your outfit prior to the shoot.

Visit the mirror just before your photo is taken. Give yourself the once over to make sure that you’re happy with the way you look. Is your hair on point? Tie straight? Groovy.

Be Encouraged, You’re Not Alone

Everyone is self-conscience and worried about their appearance. We have a tendency to nitpick our looks to death and stress over minutiae that no one else is aware of. Take a deep breath, you got this.

Let’s rock.

The post How to Take a Great Headshot appeared first on Jared Beasley Photography.

Okay, I kid. But this studio shoot felt like we were in the future. It was a blast working with two incredible professionals–Reese in front of the camera, and Kellie on the makeup.

I’m all about getting the most out of a shoot, especially when you have an excellent makeup, model, and wardrobe combo. I was happy with the different types of looks that came from this single shoot. Here are the highlights:

First up, macro beauty shots to showcase Kellie Corbett‘s makeup magic.

Behind the scenes of the setup: Two lights with barn doors on the backdrop, octa box key, umbrella fill. Let’s roll.

Want a glimpse into how we captured this tomfoolery? Watch this behind the scenes vid:

The post Plastic Neon with Reese Isabella | Studio appeared first on Jared Beasley Photography.

Cold Brew Concentrate is coffee brewed without heat over a long period of time. This slow extraction process, combined with the absence of heat, yields a coffee concentrate that is rich and smooth. It is 67% less acidic than traditional coffee that is brewed with heat.

My goal was for the image to reflect the drinking experience, so I opted for a smooth pour without any splashes, a dark background, and a lighting setup that felt luxurious. The image is a composite of nine images in six different lighting configurations. Here’s a little behind the scenes on the setup and pouring process:

A quick dive into the edit:

The final layers:

After all of that editing, these are the results. I delivered 10 different variations, including green gradient (to match the branding) and non-gradient versions, giving Vessel Craft plenty to work with on their marketing material.

If you’re in the Norfolk, VA area you gotta check Vessel Craft out. Cheers!

The post Vessel Craft Coffee Cold Brew | Product Photography appeared first on Jared Beasley Photography.

Eric, Rachel, and I all attend First Presbyterian in Norfolk, and oh man, it’s such a fantastic venue for a wedding. Eric’s brother, David, lit up the organ before, during, and after the ceremony. It was powerful. From there, we took a stroll through Botetourt Gardens, which is just a block from the church. The light was perfect and I could have shot there all day. Then it was back to First Pres for the reception, which featured good eats and some killer dance moves. And SURPRISE, a Napoleon Dynamite dance by the bridal party and some guests. So fun.

Here are the highlights. Click here to view the full set and purchase prints.

Click here to view the full set and purchase prints.

The post Eric & Rachel’s Wedding | First Presbyterian Church appeared first on Jared Beasley Photography.