Chase
"This Chase image library has been an epic four-year project that began in 2018. We shot small-business owners in over 16 cities, including NYC, Chicago, New Orleans, Austin, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, Philadelphia, Portland, LA, and a range of small towns. Along the way, I photographed everyone from veterinarians, brewers, butchers, chocolatiers, juicers, winemakers, florists, chefs, restaurateurs, and bar owners to hoteliers, HVAC company owners, commercial electricians, theater owners, interior designers, bicycle manufacturers, and furniture designers.
The challenge of a project like this is coming into these small businesses and capturing authentic human stories. These are real people doing real jobs. We had no models, no art department—we were just straight-up working with what the location gave us."
Fast Facts
• four-year project featuring small-business owners
• spanned 16+ cities
• one day per business, 7-10 shots per day
• nimble crew
"With a stripped-down and nimble crew, we shot one day per business and accomplished seven to 10 shots per day. We got portraits, documentary images of employees working, setup shots of transactions, and, at some businesses, still lifes of the card on location.
The success of an image library like this comes from finding that space between the subject and me where, for a few seconds, they are fully at ease and get lost in the moment, and something truly special happens. By embracing the subjects’ personality—quirks and all—we created unique and honest images for each individual business."
