studio lex chicago’s sip & shoot
Friday june 27th 2pm 2025
📍Lakeview, Chicago
shot on: canon eos rebel t3i 18-24mm 70-300mm
This was a networking event for photographers and models in the local Chicago area to meet and create art with each other for free. With a live DJ and complimentary wine, the vibes were immaculate and both models and photographers alike showed up to show out their craft. As a socially anxious girlie myself that runs hot, I could only last about 40min before I had to run home to shower and enjoy my AC in peace. That being said, I managed to shoot with 4 people before I left, averaging about 5min per shoot, some longer and some even shorter. I really enjoyed the creative exercise that this turned into. What can you make with a stranger in an unfamiliar place with no prior planning? Apparently some really beautiful art. It’s something to see when creative energies align.
jae matthiesen - @jae.matthiesen
Jae was the first person I approached to shoot. They were lounging on a couch and I was drawn to their clean and simple look, before immediately being blown away by their bright and bubbly energy. We managed to use two sets in a 10-15min shoot where they had more ideas and poses than I could keep up with. It was amazing. The cloud tub was more driven by me, as I really wanted to play with the shafts of light falling across their face hence the many close ups, and then also some fun full body shots in the tub. They had a bag full of props and the idea to hit a y2k moment on the retro bed set behind us, so I dragged a stool over and snapped away. I much prefer natural light to studio light and the golden afternoon light was a paid actor in those last photos.
xandre - @xicacostaa
Although Jae was the first person I shot with, Xandre was the first person to catch my eye. Their style was loud, bold, layered, and punk perfection. I really wanted to capture that as well as the fire makeup look. A complete contrast to what I’d just done with Jae. I wanted to take it a step further and shoot in the same area as I did with Jae and see if I could create a completely different vibe either with the posing or the editing, and mostly because I was still really obsessed with the lighting in that area. This was about 5 or 6min, I think I took maybe 20 shots total that I then cut down to what you see here. I wish I had spent just a little bit longer getting the crispness I was looking for, but I think the slight blur implies motion and honestly matches the grungy punk mood. I went hard with the editing, darkened the photo and upped the greens and saturations and I’m so proud of the finished product! It’s crazy the difference a few edits can make.
rish - @rishohrish
Rish came to the function with Xandre so naturally I decided to shoot with her next. I really loved the soft glam picnic princess vibe she had going on. For her shoot I chose the simple white backdrop because I simply wanted to focus on her; clear shining skin, simple gold jewelry, and intense gazes. She’s a Filipina pageantry model and served me look after look. It’s really lovely what shows up on camera when there’s no distractions like a loud background or over the top styling. I went through a few editing styles before settling on this one, which was about as close to film like as I could make it. I wanted all the feelings of softness and nostalgia to come through.
odinaka - @odeenakaaa
My last model was Odinaka, and as you can see I could not decide on an editing style. I was actually already on my way out when I spotted her fit and something in me made me turn towards her and ask for a shoot. This was about 3-5min of work total, just simple poses on a couch near the exit of the studio. I was mostly trying to capture her aura, and the 90s aesthetic vibe of her fit. Unfortunately the area I chose was quite dark which is why I struggled so hard with the edits. Do I submit to a dark and moody vibe or do my best to brighten and crisp? Why not both? I think there’s something to be appreciated about both styles and they somehow achieve the same energy.