Spine Surgery | Commissioned Work | Arkansas Commercial Photographer

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I met Dr. Kate McCarthy in July 2021 purely by chance at Starbucks. We struck up a conversation and immediately connected. During our conversation over coffee, I discovered she specializes in orthopedic surgery of the spine. I mentioned I was a professional photographer. She asked if I had ever photographed any surgeries. Not the kind of “surgery” set up for a TV commercial or an advertising photo shoot - I’ve photographed lots of those. She was referring to an actual, real surgery. My answer….yes, multiple times.

She continued by mentioning that on occasion, she operates with her father, Dr. Richard McCarthy, who was planning to retire in the near future. As a gift to him, she wanted to document one last surgery where they were both in the operating room together. I thought it would be a wonderful gift, and great opportunity for us both.

Fast forward to November 2021. After speaking with her patient, the hospital, her surgical team, all the necessary paperwork was signed. and permission was granted for the photos. I’ve photographed several surgeries over the years, but this was my first spinal surgery. I didn’t know what to expect or exactly what I’d be able to see.

After scrubbing in and being fully gowned, I kept my distance, shooting mostly with a long lens. I knew to never approach, or touch anything, that was draped in blue. After noticing I was standing at a distance, Dr. Kate asked me to come in close….really close and while still avoiding the blue drape. Dr. Kate wanted photos of her and her father operating very close-up. I photographed everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING.

I know this type of photography doesn’t appeal to many people, but I loved every, single minute I was in the operating room. To say photographing this surgery was fascinating is a major understatement. Since the patient had two spinal deformities, this surgery would allow full enjoyment life to its fullest in ways that weren’t possible before.

During my time in the operation room, I kept my footprint light and small. I had my rolling ThinkTank camera bag with all of gear, but also an old-school Domke shoulder bag for going back and forth between lenses. For much of the photo shoot, I opted to use a few of my prime lenses; 35mm & 50mm and both cameras were Canon 5D Mark III, using only ambient light.

I checked in with Dr. Kate before publishing this blog post and this is what she wrote, “Sadly, my husband and I have made a decision to leave Little Rock and move to Louisville. It’s a great opportunity for me professionally and for our family. I just wanted to make sure you knew. Can’t thank you enough for all you have done over the last year for me!”

Thank YOU, Dr. Kate! It was a honor knowing and working with you, your father and your surgical team. I hope our paths will cross again. This time, I’m buying the coffee.

New Year. New You. New Headshot

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Real life scenario. I often get calls to meet a client either virtually (gotta love Zoom) or in person over coffee to discuss their upcoming photo needs. I am also hired by local and national magazines and agencies to photograph someone for a wide variety of reasons. So I can put a face with a name, I often look the person up on LinkedIn and/or visit their website (or their company's website) beforehand.

Then I meet them…and they look NOTHING like their online photo because their headshot is a decade old…or older.

Sure, we all wish we could turn back the hands of time and look young and perfect forever. This is often the reason many people, especially women, don’t update their headshot.

“I look old”

“I look fat”

“See all these wrinkles here???” ***points all over face…

You name the excuse. I’ve heard it. Sorry guys, you’re just as guilty.

If you haven’t recently updated your headshot, and you’ve run out of excuses, now is the time for a new and better photo of you. Here is why:

You want your online presence and photo to truly represent you and your brand. Whether you need business formal headshots, or business casual (I recommend both), an in-depth professional photo shoot is the perfect opportunity to really stand out as THE top choice for your customers.

Coming up with a plan: Before any photo shoot, I’ll discuss with you the look, style, mood, and purpose for your photos. If desired, we can capture a wide range of emotions with different background colors so you can have lots of options. I personally prefer a white background because it’s bright, airy and lends a fresh look to your photos. However, some individuals and companies prefer a light-to-medium grey background for a more formal look.

As a potential Client, you should consider your career — or future career goals — and how that will influence the look and mood of your photos. Do you need friendly or serious? Business formal or casual Friday? Do you want in studio or on-location? Or both? During our initial call or meeting we will discuss wardrobe options; I am always happy to lend suggestions. Another aspect that is often undervalued and overlooked is the investment of hiring a professional hair and makeup artist. Having a hair and makeup artist or wardrobe stylist on your photo shoot is a game changer. I have a small makeup kit in my camera bag to powder noses and hairspray to tame flyways, but there’s only so much I can do. Having an on-set professional to look out for hair, makeup, and wardrobe is critical to help you look your very best. It’s an investment, but it’s worth it.

During the photo shoot: I don’t limit the amount of wardrobe changes or background changes during my headshot sessions. I want you to have as much variety as possible. Within our time frame, there may be some limitations based on the number of outfits, comfort and ease in front of the camera, hair and makeup changes, etc. The more the variety, the better. I always proof photos on set to an iPad so you can see yourself and make adjustments to your posture, smile, body language. I encourage everyone not to be too overly critical and avoid nitpicking themselves. We are our own worst critic. All of those minor flaws can be fixed. Your smile, stance and body language are the most important things.

After the session: I create a password-protected online gallery so you can review your photos. The first preview of photos will have basic color-corrections. I invite you to take your time and go through a few rounds of selections to narrow down your top choices. I am happy to lend a second opinion, however the choice on which photo(s) you want is up to you. After you’ve made your final selection(s), then each photo is retouched in detail. It’s unrealistic to think you’ll look 20 years younger or 30 pounds lighter. Why? Because it’s not real. It’s not who you are. I encourage all of my Clients to find beauty within themselves and more importantly, to love themselves exactly who they are.

With good lighting plus professional hair & makeup, the right camera angles, and tailored retouching specific to you, you CAN look better than you imagined!

In November 2021, the Chief Financial & Administrative Officer for Independent Case Management of Little Rock reached out to me to inquire about headshots for their leadership team. ICM is a not-for-profit organization that provides home and community-based supports to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) throughout the state of Arkansas. After we coordinated dates, scouted out a location, and did a little advance planning, photos were taken in December a few weeks before Christmas. After the Client made their selection, their retouched photos were delivered via digital download on January 5, 2022. You can read their testimonial here (and more), but here is what my new Client had to say:

We were looking for a photographer who could execute our vision of fresh, modern headshots. Karen’s work in her online portfolio drew us in and aligned with what we were seeking. She was very responsive and attentive to detail when we reached out to her. Karen made sure every detail was taken care of. She worked with us through all the steps from booking, what to wear, what to expect, and she was very professional and warm. Our expectations were exceeded! The photo set up and session was high-end and felt very cutting edge. We felt like we were in great hands. Karen’s approach to making people look and feel their best shines through her work. — Kathryn Rogers | Chief Financial & Administrative Officer | ICM of Arkansas

To see ICM’s new head shots, you can view them here.

If you’re ready to put your best face forward and start 2022 with a new headshot, e-mail me and we can discuss. I’d love to work with you. 501-607-0090 or you can visit my get in touch page.

Personal footnote

It had been four years since since my last headshot, and I had run out of excuses. It was time.

I took my own advice. I coordinated with a professional photographer whom I trust, hired hair and makeup and brought a few different outfits that represented me and my brand.

After we shot the professional photos, my makeup artist said, “Ok girl, this hair is too perfect. It’s got to go. Let’s go full-on Pat Benatar and mess this up.” I changed into a sweater and wore my puffy jacket. Naturally, those photos were my favorite. The causal look is more me and represents my brand perfectly!

I LOVE the results.

Team Photos for Hendrix College | Arkansas Commercial and Advertising Photographer

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Back at the end of January, I worked with the Sports Information Department at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas to provide team photos for several of their sports teams and their student athletes. Hendrix College is a private liberal arts college with a student body of around 1000 students.

I wanted to state up front this photo shoot was not originally mine. The Client originally hired a professional colleague and a friend of mine. He is a highly respected sports photographer who I have known and worked along side with for over 20 years. Two days before this photo shoot, he was photographing an NBA basketball game in a neighboring state and was informed he was possibly exposed to COVID-19. Doing his due diligence, he took a COVID test and quarantined himself for 10 days. Thankfully he was negative. However, the photo shoot could not be rescheduled so my friend called me.

Over the years, this colleague has brought me on as a second photographer on many of his photo shoot and he also handed over many photo shoots when he was already booked. In turn, I have passed several photo shoots on to him.

So when he called, literally less than 30-hours before the shoot was to start, I was happy to step up and get the job done. He knew my skill set and experience level could easily provide the results Hendrix needed.

The photo shoot was simple and straightforward: provide Hendrix College with new, individual and group photos on white seamless paper or several of their men’s and women’s teams. The client specifically request white seamless paper, with bright, well-lit photos to be used in various website and social media blasts. You can see a few photos that were posted to Twitter! on my Published page. The Client specified most of the photos would be cropped at the waist and they were going to the clipping and design work on their end. Anyone who has shot team photos on seamless paper knows that by the end of the day, the paper is trashed — especially white paper. While I was not too concerned about the paper, I did a little clean-up work in post before handing over the photos.

It was a marathon day. I arrived at 8 a.m. on a Saturday to set up my seamless paper and six-light setup. I was broken down and headed home at 10:30 p.m. Yes, you read that right, it was a 14-hour day. But we got it done.

Below are some of my favorites.

A little BTS of my six-light setup.

I used a Canon 5D Mark III and a 70-200 L-series lens on a tripod for the entire photo shoot. I used Profoto Lighting with medium deep white diffused umbrellas on both of my key lights. Both side lights were Profoto with 1x3 strip boxes with grids. The lights on the background were Alien Bees, with white interior umbrellas with black backing. I proofed photos to the Client in real time to my iPad using CamRanger.