brand new nonprofit mental health Fashion Photoshoot
By working with Coddiewomple, I'm able to bring two of my passions together - photography and positive mental health support.
“Mental health therapy should be accessible to all, and simply put, is a basic human right." Jacki Wolverton
CoddieWomple's First Photoshoot
I first met with Jacki for coffee in downtown Brighton to discuss her new nonprofit company Coddiewomple. I love meeting new people and learning about their journey. Her passion was all about mental health. Her company's mission is "Mental health therapy should be accessible to all, and simply put, is a basic human right. Even with health insurance, gaps or limits in coverage result in extraordinary costs for critical therapies." They recognize that mental health care comes with a high cost to a person's finances and personal life. They want to help lift the burden on people who need it but can not afford it themselves.
I received my first degree in psychology. My original goal was to become a psychologist. Shortly after graduating, I fell in love with photography during a trip to Europe and never looked back. This company was bringing two of my passions together - photography and positive mental health support. I knew I was perfect for this shoot.
I do not have my own studio. I am mostly out on locations to shoot. I have friends that have a studio so that when needed, I can utilize the larger space. We were trying to keep costs down for her as much as we could. We decided to shoot at my house. The way I look at things, you can turn any location into a studio. You can photograph anyone, anywhere. I needed to help tell their story, so I began by shooting their entire product line.
You can see some behind-the-scenes of our photoshoot here on Coddiewomple's Instagram.
We did not use professional models. Coddiewomple is a start-up non-profit. We used Jacki's friends and family. They did a wonderful job. With a little coaching from Jacki and I, everyone looked their best and really shined on the day of the shoot. Everyone was extremely supportive of Jacki pursuing her dream.
It was a long day's shoot. We started at 8:00 am. After all the models went home around 5:00 pm, Jacki and I had more work to be done. We shot accessories from the Coddiewomple line. The products included candles, beanies, hats, and bath salts. I think we were up until 1:00 am shooting this and laughing the whole time.
For more information, check out their website www.coddiewompleco.com
How Did I Light the Models?
I used my Profoto B1s. I shot with my Canon 5DS, which is a 50 MP camera. I used my Canon EF 70-200 lens. I used two small white Profoto umbrellas to light up the background - each light was one stop brighter than my main exposure for the model. The models were about six feet from the background, so that no light would fall on them. I used two Chimera medium strip softboxes, one below and one above my camera. Why did I choose this lighting? We needed to act quickly between models. We could not tear down in between. When we did close-ups of the pants, I wanted to make sure they looked evenly lit. The top strip light is 1/2 stop brighter than the bottom strip.
From right to left, Carley, Jacki, and I.
#coddiewomple #throwbackthursday #productphotography #portraitphotography #michiganphotography #mentalhealthmatters
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