Blog

Apple WestCo Creative Team (circa 2008)

Truly a throwback to some really great times in my life. This is the Creative crew from Apple West County in St. Louis, MO.

brother

This is my brother. He accompanied me on a recent portrait project and stood in for my test shot. I'm not able to publish the images we captured just yet, but I'm excited about this project! A book should result from it in the coming months. Thanks for your help, man!

Ryan Walters  |  St. Louis Photographer

the cracken | apple stl

Meet Eric McCracken. A genuine genius, a born leader, and a lover of hugs. This guy holds it down at the Apple Store, Galleria. You'll find him blazing a wizardry path behind the Genius Bar there. His role? None other than Lead Genius, AKA, Shot Caller. Really though, his sincerity and ability to empathize with a customer is unparalleled, and he's always willing to lend a helping hand. They're lucky to have him.

Ryan Walters  |  St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer

tim kotthoff | editor extraordinaire

This is Tim Kotthoff. He's a man of many talents and one of the most talented and knowledgable editors I've ever worked with. I'm privileged to call him a friend! Tim's the kind of editor that can take an otherwise uninspiring mess of footage, sprinkle his magic editor dust on it, and deliver you something that will leave you asking yourself if you really shot it. His dedication to his craft is unmatched, and I've witnessed him continually learn and hone his ability over the years. His passion keeps him sharp as a tack, and his gentle way of directing a project brings the best out of everyone involved. I look forward to our next great adventure!

Cheers, sir.

Ryan Walters  |  St. Louis Photographer + Cinematographer

sisters

Meet Robin and Erin. Two of the sweetest girls I've ever met. They wanted to do a maternity shoot, and I was happy to oblige. After shooting some casual images, we decided to kick it up a notch and take a more commercial approach to the classic belly bump shot. I worked to rim light their curves, and accentuate the beauty of the female form while expecting. These two images are my favorites from the shoot! Ladies, thanks for hanging out and trusting me to experiment with our direction!

Ryan Walters  |  St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer

mary beth sales

This is Mary Beth Sales. She's a former rockstar PR girl from LA, and used to be a commercial model here in St. Louis. These days she's poised to launch her real estate career in LA. Mary Beth's experience was evident during our shoot. She made my job easy! For all you hipsters on the west coast in need of new digs, hit her up!

With this image, I worked to diminish the contrast (very unusual for me), in an effort to produce a chalky, sort of smokey vintage look, almost as if there's a coat of wax smeared across it. I love the subtlety that's maintained in the detail of her hair, and the smoothness of the transitions from shadow to highlight. I may continue with this effort as images lend themselves to the aesthetic.

Ryan Walters  |  St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer

jeff white

This is Jeff White. A Fox 2 cameraman, and an avid Apple fan, Jeff and I met when he set out to learn Final Cut Pro. We met at the Apple Store, West County, and soon began talking shop about photography. We spent several months working in Aperture together, and I showed Jeff my blog and the portraits I had been shooting. He started following the blog, and it only seemed fitting to add him to the project. Maybe we can add a few of your colleagues, as well! Thanks for your interest, and I'm looking forward to our next shoot!

Ryan Walters  |  St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer