BMW X5 - Chase Your Dreams
Time and time again creatives working at the highest levels of our field will say “Create the type of work you want to get hired to do.” Sounds very simple, but more often than not, it isn't. Everyday life and responsibilities, budgets or lack thereof can sometimes make it difficult to spend time on unpaid personal portfolio projects, but in order to grow as a creative, expand your portfolio and get to where you want to get to in your career you need to invest in yourself. I’ve been doing this for years in pursuit of that polished portfolio and the dream of someday being able to produce OEM ad campaigns for the world's best automotive brands. As of now I have yet to land one of these campaigns, but in those years spent in pursuit of this dream my work has gotten better, my portfolio expanded and I’ve gained a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience. Always remember these things take time. They just don't happen overnight no matter how much you hope for it. You must be relentless in your pursuit and just know that someday you will get there!
This photoshoot featuring my personal BMW X5 is my latest attempt at emulating the look and feel of the type of campaigns I mentioned. It all started by coming up with a concept, followed by thinking what sort of location would complement the color of the truck and the look I wanted to achieve. I decided on the coast of Massachusetts at the very edge of the Cape. Unfortunately for me that was about 3 hours away, but it had to be there. In preparation for the shoot I ordered an authentic set of European plates and registry stickers to give the photos that real OEM touch. A few days before the shoot I gave the truck (which I normally keep really clean), a three stage polish that took a good 6 hours. It wasn't really necessary, but if I was going to do this the paint needed to be at it’s best. The night before the shoot I went to sleep extra early so I could wake up at 1:40am, 20 minutes before my 2:00am departure. I packed the truck and under the cover of darkness drove to the edge of Cape Cod arriving just before sunrise. From there it was smooth sailing. I knew the location and the specific shots I wanted, so I did my thing and the results are these couple of images I’m very proud of.
