The Art Director of American Motorcyclist Magazine contacted me out of the blue, asking if I could/would produce some editorial photos of a guy and his bike that they had written an article about for their next issue. They said there was a chance the photo would end up on the cover if the editors decided to go with that story as the cover story (not based on the photos, but rather the article itself). So, that meant I had my first opportunity at shooting a cover-option for a nationally distributed/recognized magazine, and it was a paying gig. Needless to say, I took the job.
I met with the subject and his nifty bike that he used to commute to DC on from the Gainesville, Virginia area every day for years (that’s a terrible multi-hour commute if you didn’t know)… and we held ourself a little commercial photoshoot right in the Virginia Gateway Plaza located in Gainesville. The editors wanted the photos to have a semi-urban feel, and this shopping centered managed to provide just that. I brought my studio lights and portable power, and we knocked out quite a few good shots. He actually had to fly into Dulles from Puerto Rico for the shoot (I guess he lives there now), but he was fantastic at taking direction and being willing to repeat sequences until we could get the best shots. This really was a great shoot.
The photo shown above was one of the best shots from the shoot, and it was what would have been used for the cover photo if they editors had decided to go with this story (too bad they didn’t). However, two of the photos ended up being used in a story that spanned over three pages, one of which stretched across two pages as a center spread with the article overlaid around it. I have two copies of the printed magazine at home ready for framing on the wall once I get around to actually buying a frame (I won’t). Since then I’ve shot other commercial/editorial projects and enjoyed it. I’ve met with the editors/art directors for Northern Virginia Magazine and Bethesda Magazine and discussed shooting for them in the near future. Throw that in with all the weddings I’m shooting now, and I should have quite a workload over the next year or so… and of course, the photos will end up right here for you to see.
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© Chad Ainsworth 2011
