This weekend I had the honor of working with Pam Ferderbar, president and head of CoPA Milwaukee, whom I mutually met through my mother. She assisted TRUU Art during the Arty Bollocks photoshoot, and is one of the main reasons why everything turned out tastefully hardcore! After I stomped on the disco ball that night, she was interested in doing a personal photoshoot together. Unfortunately, with my busy schedule over the past months and iPop was at large; I had to postpone the shoot once or twice. Until she said “No more, we are doing it this month!” and so it was. The theme of this shoot would resonate with one of the five foundations of my personality traits – Truth. Mood boards in hand she said it gave her more of an “Ethereal” feel more than an Angelic flavor. So the day of the shoot would take place on Saturday, August 24, with an appearance from my punk rock form, but this time it seemed more of a sophisticated punk rocker! 

The Locations

We arrived at a studio apartment on the south side of Milwaukee, where her boyfriend Tom lived, who was an old school Milwaukee photographer who’s built up his reputation with unfiltered honesty. As we stepped into his place, the plant life was extravagant! Plants spiraled around every corner up onto the walls and ceiling. We greeted each other and as smooth as butter transitioned into the shoot on the top floor in the apartment. Our last meet up prior to the shoot was to discuss the mood of what we were aiming for,  she suggested I’d research Mick Jagger in the hopes we can capture lengthy shots of me replicating his style.

My first outfit was a leather jacket, black boots, article pants, and a dotted scarf which was all it took for a great turn out. Pam taught me how serious lighting is to a photographer, and getting it just right is worth an arm and a leg. I bought a pelt from GoodWill to fit the theme of the shoot, I didn’t know how it would be incorporated, but trusting your gut instincts is the way to go.

We managed to use said pelt for some amazing glamor shots in the bathroom because Pam said “Why don’t we take some pictures of you in the tub?” “The SCRUB-A-DUB TUB!?!” I worried. But let me tell you my mind was absolutely blown away by nothing but fur around my neck and white bathroom tiles in the background. Can you say Spicy? After our latest shots I was hyped for our next location on the list, so we wrapped up and packed up to hit the road by MKE’s bridge! 

Harley Davidson Musem

For my alternative outfit, I wore a white suit coat and a horizon undershirt with shredded white pants and a pair of Kyrie’s. Pam was there with the clutch at every moment, she brought her professional photography gear that included a $1,500+ camera, 100x zoom lens, and a collapsable multi-disc reflector. Who knew this shaded frisbee would become our saving grace throughout the photoshoot on achieving heavenly shots! Pam taught me so much about authenticity and how to be natural when it comes to photography, such as to keep moving because movement shots strike the natural look we were going for. She is the first person ever to say “I don’t want you to give me the model look, try looking away into the future!” I loved how her style countered my norm, which gave me insight through the lenses of her perception. I trusted her skill even if it defied my own, but it defiantly took all three of us to do what we did, we are called the “Infamous MKE Trinity” the Photo-God-pher, the Son, and the Holy assistant.

We had to track the sun and locate the spots that blended a balance between shade and exposure, which was basically nowhere before sunset, but we managed to find the Harley Davidson Rivet Wall to take pictures besides the reflectors. I sat on a steel beam with my outfit looking like Forrest Gump, the frisbee helped bounce the light on the darkened sides of my face to lighten the exposure in the photo. After we had collected various looks, it was time to head to the next location by a brick building. Till a wedding had the same idea and populated our secret spot, so it was time for our plan B location – the Bradford Beach! 

Bradford Beach

The tides crashed on the shore, and snapped my consciousness onto the coast of Hawaii, I’ve never been there yet my heart seemed to know the way. My final outfit was a blue Japanese Kimono, Jesus sandals, and my returning shredded white pants. I sure did feel like a super model here, with the wind coursing throughout my hair, to the warm grittiness of the sand between my toes. Pam wanted me to walk towards the camera slowly with the waves and segues flying high behind me. She loved these shots, but now she wanted some of me in the water…Anything for the shot, right!? So I jumped in the ocean with my long white pants sticking out like a buoy, even though I was soaked and uncomfortable it made for some front page magazine shots. She also taught me in order to be more natural; is to close my eyes then open them directly before the camera snaps a picture, compared to staring deadpan at the camera like I like to do. I’ll admit, it was difficult combining that technique while trying not to get toppled by the harsh waves of the ocean!

The people at the beach took notice of the photoshoot happening and thought it was a production I was a part of. In the middle of it, a girl soon to be known as “Jordan from Denver” approached from the coast and fancied to take a picture with me, she asked what I was doing this for. I responded “For my website”, then gave her my whole spiel of how I was going to Change the World one day. After our pictures were taken she added me shortly after on Instagram – though my mood may have been nonchalant I still felt like a star at Bradford beach. As the Infamous MKE Trinity brainstormed more areas we can shoot in this climate, we decided to hit two more spots along the coast such as the Tiki Bar, and you know, the reflection of the tide on my sunglasses. Who else would think this creatively outside the box other than Pam Ferderbar. 

At last it was concluded, I’m not sure why out of all of my shoots I was nervous about this one. Truth being a pillar of my personality; I didn’t want to mess it up! You know that feeling the moment before you take your school yearbook picture, the picture that would represent your face for the rest of the semester. It was like that, but instead of a semester it was my entire career. After, we all hopped back in the Toyota and drove back to the studio apartment, we would’ve reached our destination earlier if it weren’t for those fricking Pedal Taverns littered all around Downtown Milwaukee!

Pam also taught me another technique, if you put your car into neutral and rev the gas – it’ll give those Pedal Taverns something to really scream about…All jokes aside, I’m eternally grateful for this photoshoot with my mother and Photography Specialist Pam Ferderbar, she was able to perceive things differently with her photography mindset and capture incredible next level shots. Thank you Tom, for the “Sensitive Plant” that curls up on contact, It’ll grow with me and my future endeavors!