THE
OFFICIAL
MAGAZINE OF IAN
SPANIER
PHOTOGRAPHY
ISSUE 04 FALL 2015
COMMERCIAL Gaspari Nutrition When Gaspari Nutrition, the popular nutritional-supplement company, called me to shoot its sponsored athletes in a Spartan Race, I was immediately aware that finding good representations of themes such as fat burning, high energy and muscle building were omnipresent around me. Always in search of new solutions for tough lighting situations, I combined subtle studio lighting with natural light and even fire to capture the live action. Some athletes even ran through the flames twice for me, just because they were there.
COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL Lowepro Pro Runner Playing off the popularity of behindthe-scenes images of photo shoots shared regularly via social media, Lowepro Bag Company wanted its next backpack campaign to exude the feel of a shoot. We therefore created a set, adding a model, photographer and makeup artist to create a BTS image featuring the new Pro Runner bag series. Here is our “photographer” heading home at the end of a successful shoot.
Gaspari Nutrition: Two-Time Ms. Olympia Bikini Champion Ashley Kaltwasser How, exactly, do you fly under the radar at the most popular gym on the East Coast while photographing the reigning Ms. Olympia Bikini Champion? Well, you don’t. Working in a non-studio environment is less than ideal, but sometimes you have to pretend no one else is around and just have fun.
I S S U E F A L L
0 4 2 0 1 5
12 FURIOUS 1. From the studio to the top of Downtown L. A., Ian’s marathon shoot with actor and musician Tyrese Gibson runs the gamut from streetwear to black tie — all of it capped off with a great cigar.
40 CLIENT SPEAK
8
This issue’s testament to Ian’s work comes from the creative director of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, one of his longest-term clients.
THIS PLACE Often, when Ian’s on assignment — or, even more commonly, when he’s en route to or returning from one — inspiration will strike. Forever snapping mental images as he goes, Ian’s always eager to capture one of these moments in time. This issue’s shot is a coin-op laundry in rural Pennsylvania where he stopped to clean his clothes between assignments in New York and Ohio.
10 HER SECRET This assignment certainly pushed Ian’s boundaries. Luckily, he was working with a terrific model, stylist and makeup artist — and the salacious yet elegant results speak for themselves.
26 THE LOVE OF THE GAME Few people embody aspiration better than athletes. Ian has spent a lifetime around sports, and his passion comes through clearly in this eclectic mix of athletic assignments.
20 TRIPLE THREAT Given the opportunity to do a personal shoot with actress, model and dancer Rachele Brooke Smith, Ian enlisted the aid of fashion stylist Matthew Peridis to showcase this multifaceted beauty in the most elemental setting.
COMMERCIAL Danskin Women’s-activewear company Danskin wanted a “Nike-esque” feel for its new campaign, so instead of showcasing its usual model or dancer, it hired an athlete to help extend the brand’s reach. Unconfined by a studio, we located an air-conditioning catwalk that provided the perfect contrast the creative director was looking for: elegant athletic wear in a raw industrial environment.
COMMERCIAL Danskin Comfort, energy, fearless, fun: That was the inspiration for the latest line of active wear from Danskin, a longtime client. My approach to a shoot like this is to stay consistent to the brand, which I know well, but always end up creating something new and dynamic.
I S S U E F A L L
7
IAN SPANIER
0 4 2 0 1 5
WELCOME TO THE fourth issue of IAN magazine! This time, we decided to feature some of the work I’ve done in the world of fitness as well as a smattering of images outside the genres in which I usually work. I always shoot a wide variety of subjects, and it’s a fun challenge to try something new. Sports — soccer, wrestling, golf, baseball, training, rugby — have long been a personal and professional passion, whether I’m shooting portraits of pro athletes, documenting game action or even dipping my toe into fashion to shoot athletic models. Indeed, fitness gets part of the credit for my career as a photographer: When I first got to college, my plan was to play soccer for four years while studying sports medicine to become a trainer for a professional team. This had long been something I was interested in; having come back from a number of injuries in high school, I’d learned the importance of proper training. My schedule was crazy: With soccer practice, early-morning biology classes and little time to eat, I was injured more than I played during my freshman year. My grades suffered, and knowing I had decent drawing skills, I started taking art classes to bring my grade-point average up. I continued to take science classes and volunteer in the training room — yet by the third trimester, when photography was the next art class in line, I found myself spending more time in the darkroom and less in the training room. Although I continued to play sports, photography had pretty much taken over my life. This issue also features a shoot I did with the dynamic actress, model and dancer Rachele Brooke Smith. I enlisted the amazing creative-conception and styling skills of Matthew Peridis and the hair-and-makeup artist Kelly Shew. Matthew took the reins, and I pretty much served as chief-button pusher for the feature, “Triple Threat” (page 20). Then, as long as I was pushing the envelope, I brought on stylist Jenny Wichman and my longtime makeup-and-hairstylist Laura Dee Shelley for a fun (and revealing) lingerie mini-feature with model Anna-Christina Schwartz (page 10). Finally, new in this issue is a spread, “This Place” (page 8), which shows off an image I took during my various travels, whether on assignment or purely for pleasure. Think of it as a lagniappe, just a little something personal I like. Enjoy!
Photographer and Founder: Ian Spanier ian@ianspanier.com 917.723.6410 ianspanier.com Design by Warren Mason warren@warrenmasondesign.com 646-334-2764 warrenmasondesign.com Editor: Brian Dawson briandawson218@gmail.com
All images © Ian Spanier Photography 2015. No images may be repurposed for any reason without prior written authorization by Ian Spanier Photography. Photograph by Sean Horton
8
This Place
Coin-op laundromat, Youngwood, Pennsylvania, 2014
s ’ a n ti s i r h C a Ann et r ec S I’ve photographed female bodybuilders countless times for various publications, but a beautiful model in lingerie was definitely a step in an unusual direction. German-American model Anna-Christina Schwartz has done fitness, fashion and even music-video shoots, but here I shot her in front of a simple studio backdrop, against whose plain hues her lacy pink attire offered a vivid contrast.
11
Hair and makeup by Laura Dee Shelley Styling by Jenny Wichman
12
urious 1.
When I got a call to photograph actor and musician Tyrese Gibson, of course I was excited. What I didn’t know was that I was going to have to conceptualize and develop the entire shoot myself as well. Tyrese and his team wanted a variety of images that could cover any number of possible future needs: music, fashion, acting and more. To create a variety of looks, therefore, in addition to changing backgrounds and locations, I altered the lighting from shot to shot to play well off the array of clothing the stylist brought. I’ve always said that light has a feel, and these photos show it. In all, we shot seven distinct looks in under four hours. It was a bit of a marathon, but I knew it would be worth it after firing the first frame. I showed Tyrese the image on my iPad, and his response was perfect: “Yeah, man,” he said. “Let’s do more of that.”
14
I showed Tyrese the image on my iPad, and his response was perfect: “Yeah, man,” he said. “Let’s do more of that.”
COMMERCIAL Cohiba Nicaragua The direction I got for the launch of this cigar was to create a video journey of Nicaragua — from the fields to the factory — showcasing the country’s natural beauty. My concept was a series of still shots to create a slide show that I compiled into a two-minute video with music and narration. While on the set, I pitched the idea of shooting video of a cigar being made as a backdrop to the stills, and the client loved the notion. I hadn’t initially intended to shoot any video at all, but I had brought two small video lights with me just in case, anticipating that they might come in handy. (To see the finished video, go to vimeo.com/125733983.)
Styled by Matthew Peridis Hair and Makeup by Kelly Shew
21
Triple Threat Since her movie debut in Center Stage: Turn It Up (2008), Rachele Brooke Smith has made her name as an actress, model and dancer who can shift among those three demanding roles with ease. For this shoot, I photographed her in a series of poses that showcased both her innate poise and elegance and her extraordinary physique. The results, with Smith modeling an array of outerwear and accessories against a studio backdrop, are a seamless blend of leisure and fitness.
Previous page: jacket by TopMan; bra top by Onzie; sweatpants by Garbe Luxe; sandals by TopShop This page: tank top and long-sleeve shirt by Splits59
Hoodie by Adidas; cropped sweatpants by Adidas Essentials; hightops by Alicia Keys for Reebok
23
Bra top by Michi, Carbon38.com; jacket stylist’s own; shorts by Joe’s
24
Dwayne Johnson Actor Miami, FL
The Love of the Game 27
Photographing sports occupies a lot of my time, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Athletes inspire us all, young and old alike: We triumph and suffer vicariously through their wins and losses, marvel at their seemingly superhuman capabilities and simply enjoy the entertainment they provide. Here’s a look at some of the memorable sports shots I’ve taken over the years.
28
Jai Bond NFL Punter MetLife Stadium, NJ
Mario Williams NFL Defensive End Houston, TX
30
Derek Poundstone World’s Strongest Man Competitor Waterbury, CT
Wladimir Klitschko World Heavyweight Champion Majorca, Spain
Ted Grennan Fly Fisherman Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Charles Gaines Fly Fisherman Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Jim Miller UFC Fighter Sparta, NJ
Rock Climber Boulder, CO
Snowboarder Mt. Hood, OR
36
Sandboarder Cape Town, South Africa
38
BEHIND THE SCENES A glimpse into Ian’s notebook gives a hint of how his shoots happen, start to finish.
I hadn’t worked with stylist/creative director Jennifer Lee since we were both on staff at a media company in New York. We’d each moved to the West Coast in the interim — Jennifer to San Francisco, I to Los Angeles. We’d had many challenging assignments during our collaborations in New York, so when she called me to photograph seven of San Francisco’s hottest artists for Worth magazine’s “Curator” series, I knew we’d have a blast — and also have our hands full. To begin, we did a quick group shot on location at a restaurant before it opened for lunch. Then we headed to the artists’ studios at
various locations around the Bay Area to get a portrait of them among their work. Both halves of the shoot had to be completed on a limited budget in just two days. Here’s a look at how I lit the narrow restaurant, using its L shape to obscure the illumination source yet make it look natural; and how I did the same at each artist’s workspace, using one head with a grid on the subject’s face and a lower-powered head bounced off a wall or ceiling to add some glimmer to the room — all in an attempt, in each location, to keep things simple for reasons of both economy and speed.
COMMERCIAL NYCEDC Essex Street Market One of my longest-term clients, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, serves as the Big Apple’s marketing agency. It recently hired me to shoot the Essex Street Market on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, one of the city’s oldest food-and-sundries bazaars. Need artisanal cheese? Swedish meatballs? Gourmet ice cream? Tamales? Fresh mussels? Jars of odd spices? You’ll find it all here, amid the vendors who are the heart of the bustling operation.
“Client Speak” 40
“I started working with Ian a decade ago, and I’ve since been completely impressed with every single shoot we’ve done together. Whether he’s shooting an ad campaign or Manhattan architecture, Ian always brings out the character and emotion of the subject. He proves that merely having a good camera isn’t enough — you need skill and creativity to rise above the rest. Ian does so, every time.” —Randi Press, Creative Director, New York City Economic Development Corporation
COMMERCIAL A3 Prior to this shoot for Europa Sports’ A3 nutrition bars, I’d never worked with BMX riders. Shooting at the BMX Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, my idea was to create a natural moment. Athletes aren’t models, so getting them comfortable in front of the camera is a must. After a few posed portraits, then, I got them back in their comfort zone, riding around the track while I shot. On the last run, I told them to pull into the middle of the track, where my lights were set up, and park to watch others ride. This “natural” pose in an unnatural setting ended up as the main select. Sometimes the key is just letting people be themselves.
Ian Spanier Photography 917.723.6410 ian@ianspanier.com ianspanier.com