For an in-depth look at the delivered image portfolio, see it here.

Who is the client?  

Judson Laipply is a motivational speaker and comedian, best known for his viral "Evolution of Dance" video. We originally connected in 2020, when I photographed one of his virtual Zoom events. Years later, when we were both attending a speaker conference, he took advantage of the opportunity to book me for a 60-minute branding session when he heard about the offer.

Why did he need photos?  

It had been several years since Judson last invested in professional photos, and he noticed that his appearance no longer matched the old images he was using for his website, speaker kit and social media profiles. He didn’t want a full rebrand, just a refresh of promotional images that he can implement in all important areas of his online presence.

How did we prepare for the session?

Given the tight 60-minute timeframe, the preparation was focused on maximizing every minute. Judson and I had a brief call where I explained the types of photos we would aim to capture—headshots, wider direct address portraits, and candid reflective moments. 

We also discussed how he wanted to be perceived by his audience, particularly focusing on aspects of his personality that needed come through in the photos. This, after all, is a critical piece of the strategy puzzle to help determine how to engage and direct him to exhibit the facial expressions and body language that resembles these sentiments.

What camera gear did you use?

For Judson’s session, I used the Nikon Z9, rotating between the 24-70mm, 70-200mm, and 85mm lenses. The 85mm lens was exclusively used for headshots, while the other two lenses were alternated while capturing wider portraits and moments of reflection.

What challenges were faced?
How did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge was working within the limited 60-minute timeframe. Judson and I had to work with an intense sense of urgency, moving quickly from one shot to the next.

Another challenge was that Judson brought fewer outfit options than expected - two button-downs and jackets (see photos above) - but I worked around this by having him alternate between wearing and removing his jackets to create some visual variety.

Additionally, midway through the session, a crowd of conference attendees began filling the hallways we were shooting in, so we had to find alternative locations quickly and work around them. We discovered an unoccupied small conference room, which provided a fresh backdrop for a chunk of the direct address portraits and reflective moments. We also took the escalator up and worked around that area, carefully avoiding yet another large crowd of people circulating the area.

how was visual variety achieved?

Despite the limited timeframe, Judson’s portfolio displays a range of emotions and backgrounds. 

While most of his previous photos feature his signature megawatt smile, I encouraged him to explore more reflective, serious expressions, which added depth to his portfolio. 

Also, the multiple shifts in location due to heavy foot traffic allowed us to leverage unique backgrounds. And, by using tighter shots and different poses, we were able to create a solid variety of promotional images. 

Describe the post-production process.

Judson was my only session of the day, so I was able to immediately back up the photos and start the post-production process. 

Given the relatively small number of images captured during his session, the culling, cropping, and coloring process moved quickly. I spent extra time cropping the images to ensure variety despite the limited outfit changes and restrictions on location. 

In total, the portfolio contains 166 photos and was completed with 3 post-production passes.

At the end of the day…

Judson appreciated the efficiency and quality of the session, especially considering the time constraints and last-minute location changes. 

He was impressed by how quickly the photos were delivered and is already using them in his marketing materials. The experience proved the importance of working with a plan but staying flexible in challenging conditions.