This shot came from a recent gig at which this man was a guest of honor. Fee can't walk into a room without making people laugh. His energy and humor are contagious, and he's a solid friend. Here's to you, sir!
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
Chris Huge. His is a story of strong will and laser focus, but you'll have to ask him about it. I will say this, though, he's an inspiration to a lot of people. At the Apple Store, West County, he's a valuable asset to the Genius team, and has become a frequent "go to" guy. Chris came in with the scarf around his neck, and we worked with it in different ways. I've always thought he resembled Ewan McGregor, and the beard lent itself well to McGregor's portrayal of Obi Wan Kenobi, so I asked Chris to wrap the scarf around his head and neck, and stare straight through my lens. Thanks for hanging out and channeling a Jedi Master, man!
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
An impromptu image of an actress who happened to be performing at a recent event I attended. We only shot a few, but I liked this one a lot.
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
Shot back in 2006, but still one of my favorites. We stayed up all night, just shooting and trying different lighting. Good times.
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
Dionte Harden. One of the most genuine guys I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, and an incredible asset to the Apple Store, West County. The more I learn about Dionte, the more I've come to realize he's very much a creative soul.
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
This is Kate. I met her when I had my second studio in St. louis, back in 2008. We put out a call for models for an upcoming shoot, and she showed up with an impressive resumé, including Rams Cheerleader. She was great to work with!
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
Mallori Benz. What can I say? She's an absolute rock star. Mal defined what it meant to be a Specialist at the Apple Store. She embodied the spirit of the credo like no one I've ever met, and embraced the Apple culture. I felt priviledged to call her a colleague, and I'm honored to call her a friend. You will be missed, Mal.
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
This shot came from a chance meeting with a fellow photographer. I was shooting on Delmar, and DeAndre pulled over, crossed the street, and introduced himself. He said he was just getting into photography and had just finished an engagement shoot with a couple in Forest Park. He asked if he could hang out and watch, and said my shoot reminded him of a workshop he read about called "One Flash...or something like that". We hung out for the remainder of the shoot, and he was graciously willing to let me grab a couple shots of him, too. I mentioned the One Light Workshop that Zack Arias hosts several times a year, and he said that's the one he was referring to. I was stoked to chat with him about Zack and his techniques! As we said goodbye, DeAndre commented on our happenstance; "You just can't run from your passion, man. So cool to have run into you guys tonight!" Well said, DeAndre!
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
This is Neal Thompson. I was driving home through Kirkwood, MO this morning, and he caught my eye. Neal was walking down the middle of the street, dressed in white from head to toe, and carrying what looked to be a Moses staff. I had to stop and hear his story. He referred to himself as a street preacher and told me he'd walked 19,000 miles across this country. There was kindness in his voice, and joy in his eyes, even as he told me of losing his entire family, being kicked out of twenty cities, asked to leave Catholic churches, and arrested three times due to his faith. His kids won't speak to him, and his wife left him because they think he's crazy. Well Neal, maybe you are crazy...but then again, maybe not, who am I to say. In the ten or fifteen minutes I knew Neal on the street, I know one thing for certain; Neal is a man who believes whole heartedly in something, without any doubt, and without apology, and he's happy to tell anyone who will listen. I found that refreshing and inspiring. As I left him, he shouted after me, "I'll pray for you, my brother, and I'll pray for your loved ones, too". So to the Street Preacher, thanks for an interesting conversation, and thanks for letting me photograph you.
A cowboy, a poet, an actor, and a saddle maker, Martin J. "Boomer" Bergin is the first and only real cowboy I've ever had the opportunity to photograph. Mr.Bergin is one of the last true American Cowboys, and he's full of incredible stories. A saddle maker by trade, he's lived and worked out of his home in St. Louis, MO since 1975, after having grown up in West Texas and New Mexico. He's handmade and sold his saddles to working cowboys in eleven countries, and produces around fifteen per year. Talking with this man feels like talking to a legend that stepped straight out of a John Wayne (Boomer's self-confessed hero) western. Myself and a friend spent a little more than an hour with him in his saddle shop, and learned a great deal. An actor, working with Robert Duvall, Tom Selek, and Sam Elliot, a writer and performer of cowboy poetry, and a collector of pipes, boot knives, and six-shooters, Martin is truly one of a kind. He represents a breed of man that's long since been lost in this country. He's performed his poetry on the Today Show, Johnny Carson, and for President Clinton himself. Thanks for an interesting evening and for welcoming us into your home, sir.
Click the title for more portraits of Mr. Bergin.
A Specialist at the Apple Store, West County, and often the life of the conversation, Chas is the kind of guy that can always put a smile on my face. The guy is as good as they get. After seeing some of my recent work, Chas asked me to do a portrait of him in a similar style. I was stoked and jumped at the opportunity. For this shot, we decided the easiest thing to do was photograph him after work. We set up, shot, and tore down in about 30 minutes.
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
I shot this series with my pop recently. We were hanging out last weekend as father and son often do, and I happened to have all my gear in my car from a recent shoot with OPTION//CONTROL. I asked him if he would be up for having his picture taken, and he agreed right away. I threw up an SB-800 and a silver 45" Westcott umbrella and shot it Strobist-style. I'm very pleased with the results, and I hope to have the opportunity to photograph my pops again in the near future! As a side note, I had four Profoto strobes and a 6'x4' softbox in my car, but it seemed excessive to drag all that gear into a relatively small office space, so I opted for the single Speedlight and a simple umbrella as a light modifier. Just goes to prove you don't have to have the latest greatest gear to create some well lit images. "Do what you can, where you are, with what you have." Someone a lot smarter than me said that once, and I think there's truth in it.
Thanks Dad.
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
Although I'm not usually one for anything but tack sharp focus, this image seems to work well with it's imperfections. A good friend of mine (and incredible black and white photographer) Jerry Tovo, mentioned it had a certain "mystery" to it, and I find that to be very true.
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
shane zimmer. if you follow my blog, you've seen this man before. it's been too long since I've published anything, and in light of recent events in my life, I've been revisiting some of Patrick Hoelck's work. I was a fan of his work while I was in school. he's known for his very dark, very moody images, and incredible color work. the expression on shane's face, the depth in his eyes, and the Hoelck treatment, tell the story of my life well right now. it's truly a dark time, and this image sums it up.
Ryan Walters | St. Louis Portrait + Commercial Photographer
if you're into it, check out Hoelck's site.
