TuesdaysTogether Styled Shoot — Southern Oregon

Carmen Soares
Beyond the Gates Photography, TuesdayTogether Southern Oregon

“Joining my local TuesdayTogether group I knew would bring lasting benefits, but I never imagined that it would be this special! I feel blessed with the bonds and friendships I have made. We truly have a community of creative individuals who honestly and wholeheartedly believe in the spirit of community over competition! And I am so proud to be a part of this group!

Earlier this year when the Rising Tide announced the opportunity for groups to participate in a styled shoot challenge, our group was quite excited about this opportunity and we discussed many ideas, however we were not able to put our schedules together and bring it to fruition. With the wedding season winding down I really wanted us to get together as a group and enjoy getting to know each other, and apparently so did many others. In our Local TuesdaysTogether Facebook group I asked if anyone would be interested in a shootout and the response was overwhelming!! I couldn’t believe it! I was so excited! We picked a date, and starting the planning.

I was overjoyed when the day arrived and everything turned out better than I had ever expected! We had 27 Creatives involved in this styled shoot in one way or another! Everyone worked so hard to help put it together, from the planning to the setting up and cleaning up!

It was a gloriously overcast day in the valley for most of the day, but at sunset when we were out on the pond shooting our last set of images, the sun made a beautiful appearance! Casting its rays on the water, giving us the most spectacular natural sun flares we could ask for! And we had a beautiful sunset on the pond! We were amazed since it had rained for several days before the shoot and as I drove off the property, the last one to leave, it was starting to rain again! Nature certainly worked in our favor this beautiful day!

As we worked together shooting 8 different sets, and two sets of models, we most certainly experienced the spirit of community over competition. Having 12 photographers at various levels of expertise on this day could have proved to be a challenge, but it didn’t! Each one was courteous to the other, allowing all to take the lead in posing the models, allowing each photographer to get the shot they wanted without interfering. Helping each other out with camera settings and tips for better images. And trading models at various times during the day! I could not be more proud of this group! I sincerely believe that this group has taken to heart the mission of the Rising Tide Society and our Local TuesdaysTogether Group, and is genuinely interested in “Educating and empowering creatives to thrive in the spirit of community over competition” I hope you all enjoy these images and are able to get a sense of how beautiful our day was!”

Comments from some of the participants:

Christine Sarah of Christine Sarah Photography and Rock Creek meadows: “What fun today was! Thank you everyone for coming out and putting in so much hard work we truly have an amazing community of creatives. Everyone was so kind and talented!…”

Our Group Leader Kelsi Dean was not able to make it to the styled shoot since she had a wedding out of town and was leaving that day but here is what she had to say: “Looking at all of your lovely photos and I feel so proud! I’m so proud of our local Tuesday’s together group, the community we have created and the friendships that have been forged… These are the types of events I would love to see more of as a result of relationships formed through TuesdaysTogether! Thanks so much for inspiring me so much!”

Cristen Nires of Cristen Nires photography: “Participating in this styled shoot out was an amazing experience. I loved having the chance to practice community over competition and shoot alongside a very talented group of fellow photographers and creatives. It was an opportunity to network and make new friends while doing what we love! I hope that we can organize another shoot out very soon.”

Richard Templeton of Templeton Productions: “It was so an incredible experience working with so many creative minds on this shoot in a beautiful setting. The strategic coordination, elegant decor, perfect backdrop, and stunning models really made the ability to capture loving vibe
effortless. The ability to capture images from above allow for a different perspective in the artistic outcome”

Shannon Lindeman of Shannon Lindeman Photography: “I am so grateful I was able to be part of this styled shoot. Not only did I gain invaluable practice photographing wedding and engagement portraits, I met many creative people that were immediately supportive of my own path and goals. Although I am relatively new to photography, it seemed many who were much farther in their careers could relate to where I am at and were happy to work alongside me. It was an immensely enjoyable experience and I can’t wait to do it again!”