This week’s Inspire Portland has actually been in the works for at least a year.   I’d had the idea to photograph Sean Wilkinson for a few reasons:  he has a distinctive sense of style, he seems to be connected to and know absolutely everyone in Portland, and he (to me) epitomizes the inherantly creative nature of many in Portland, who are working hard to fuse creative work, business and education into something viable and growing.

In the interest of full disclosure, Sean is a friend, and his company,  Might & Main, is located just below our studio in downtown Portland.  It was actually difficult to not ask to photograph Sean’s Might & Main cohorts, Arielle Walrath and Kevin Brooks, easily two of the nicest and most talented individuals I know.   I just felt that Sean’s involvement in so many projects in Portland, including as president of AIGA and organizer of the twice-annual Picnic arts and music festival, gave him the edge for this project.   You may not know Sean, but chances are that if you attend any arts event in Portland, he may have been involved.
And if you don’t yet know Might & Main, stay tuned.  You’ll be seeing their work, and their name, with increasing frequency.

The concept was to photograph Sean in a setting reminiscent of 70s kitsch, in a completly brown palette.   Sometime last year, Sean proudly displayed his new stuffed boar head, “Boris”, which I knew immediately had to figure in the final image.       The shoot itself was fairly simple, with only one real setup—a far cry from the variety I usually aim for.  The set was simple, and the lighting was specifically set up to aid in the post-production effect I wanted.   Check out the time-elapse video below to see the setup and shoot in action.  Enjoy!