Virtual school is hard. It’s tough on kids, it’s tough on parents, and it’s tough on teachers. I’m sharing this project to indulge in the joyful memory of children learning together, without masks or social distancing, and to remind myself that one day we’ll get back to this.
Shot late last year for TLCD architecture, this middle school learning resource center is a modern take on the school library.
I love collaborating with the team at TLCD because they prioritize creating architectural images that tell the story of how people inhabit the space. Creating architectural photography with people is an interesting and fun challenge. The techniques that work well for architecture are not so good for creating interesting images of people, and vice versa. Architecture loves wide angle lenses, tripods, multiple exposures, and extremely precise composition. By the time we’ve set all that up, the people have usually wandered off or fallen asleep! To solve this problem, we pre-plan our shots carefully and set everything up as quickly as possible, so we can capture moments that feel authentic.
Another solution is to take a break from traditional architectural techniques and work more directly with the people. Lifestyle and documentary-style shooting are fast paced, highly interactive, and require flexibility plus an open mind.
Working with kids is a special gift. In my experience, children tend to have open minds, open hearts, and are generally enthusiastic. I refer to this phenomenon as “kid magic” and I love it. I’m lucky to be the father of two, so I get a lot of kid magic in my personal life, and I’m particularly grateful when I get to experience a bit of kid magic during a shoot.
Check out this selection of my faves from this shoot:
I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve on the board and support our local SMPS chapter! It’s an honor to be on the team with such an inspiring group of marketing pros. The Society for Marketing Professional Services is a community of marketing and business development professionals working to advance industry best practices and develop business relationships for their A/E/C companies. SMPS offers members professional development, leadership opportunities, and marketing resources to enhance their careers.
Learn more here
It’s been my pleasure to help organize this 2 session workshop presented by Hannah Brown and Michael Bernard. During this collaborative, interactive workshop, you’ll learn how to identify and overcome the common obstacles to effective business development and marketing. Marketing and business consultants Hannah Brown and Michael Bernard will lead us through an interactive exploration of strategies and techniques that will help us create new connections, identify potential clients, and get more work.
Learn more here
Covid-19 Protocols for Safe Photo Shoots
While we are open for business and actively shooting, we are limited in what and where we can shoot. Local rules are changing rapidly, and we are assessing each project for health and safety on a case-by-case basis.
Our two main criteria for scheduling a shoot:
- It must be allowed under local regulations.
- We must be able to create a safe environment for crew, talent, and client.
Covid-19 is with us for now, and we’ve created protocols for our shoots to help keep everyone involved safe. Our protocols are based on current CDC guidelines, California Statewide Industry Guidance, and Sonoma County Business Mitigation Requirements. As these guidelines and regulations evolve we will update our protocols.
Details here: tylerchartier.com/covid19-protocols
