Graceful. Fleeting. Julie was a figure model in St. Louis. She was a welcome subject of mine for several years, and always professional. These images are some of my earliest work in the studio, and represent a time of great experimentation and study. Lit with a single Profoto in a large softbox, Julie's skin appears porcelain. I shot her against black seamless paper, then added the subtle blue and texture in Photoshop. Sometimes one light is all it takes.
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Photographer
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Photographer
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Photographer
I recently shot a short retrospective that included several interviews. Chas was one of the more colorful characters, and I decided to grab several frames from the footage. Cheers to you sir, for sparking some inspiration!
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Photographer + Cinematographer
Ian Christopher, sporting some killer vintage Apple swag. 10 months and counting! Here we go.
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Photographer
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
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
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
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
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
These two girls are awesome. They are fierce competitors and are both in the running for volleyball scholarships when the time comes! I was hired to create portraits of them for the purpose of sending to agents and coaches, and I thought what better way to feature an athlete than to treat this as a shoot for a Nike campaign or the Olympics. With that in mind, I worked to create striking (no pun intended), attentiona grabbing images of both girls to elevate their image and help them on their quest to a higher level of play.
Thanks for hanging out and best of luck to you both!
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
These two people are awesome. I've had the pleasure of calling them colleagues at Apple for several years now, and it's been cool getting to know them. Macy and Jeremy are both incredibly creative people, and it's been interesting to watch them evolve and become entrepreneurs recently. They own a wedding videography business named Rue de la Vie. Check them out for all your wedding and save the date video needs! Having shot my wedding, I can personally recommend their services. They are professional, and they do a phenomenal job capturing your big day! They even offer Blu-Ray output! Thanks to you both for letting me be a part of your day, and I wish you all the best in your journey together!
For these shots, we placed the red sofa in an alley behind their home in Soulard. The ivy happened to be covering a nearby building, and I liked the texture it provided. We lit both shots with one light and a large octabank. The light was powered by a Vagabond II.
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
Obviously not useable for his new headshot, but damn I dig it! I love how it leaves something to the imagination. Makes it so much more interesting to me as a viewer. I want to know who the guy is and what he's thinking...this has the look of an actor with both calculated skill and deep resolve, and that pretty much defines Dave in my mind. Driven, determined, and dedicated to his craft.
I'll never turn down a chance to work with this guy. Thanks for hanging out, Dave! You continue to inspire me.
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
Check out Dave's video production company, Steward Media!
Tyler Braswell. A musician, a connoisseur of food, and a gentleman, Tyler is the definition of cool. He has a calm presence about him, and it makes him a pleasure to work with.
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
I spent last Sunday with these two beautiful people. The day was all about location shooting, so we loaded a ton of gear in the car and headed out early in the morning. 6 locations, 2 wireless receivers, 3 CF cards, and 7 hours later, we had managed to shoot 450 images I'm really digging! More to come from this shoot as time allows.
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
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
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
This is Sara Moser. Quick-witted but quiet, you can bet she's always up to something. She's an integral part of the machine that is the Genius Bar at the Apple Store, West County, and she has a fondness for unusual hats. Sara is a pleasure to hang out with and is a talented retouch artist, as well as a photographer. Thanks for FINALLY letting me photograph you! You are awesome!
PS-Watch out for those pesky little spiders dropping down from your visor, and if one is to decide to descend on you while in traffic, for God's sake, keep your hands on the wheel!!
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer