Client: Planterra Conservatory, West Bloomfield, Michigan
Concept, Creative Direction & Photography: Marek Dziekonski
Hair and Make up: Jon Lieckfelt
Styling and Set Design: DiVincenzo and Marek Dziekonski
Brief: To conceptualize, design and execute a series of Portraits for Planterra Conservatory – a premium Metro Detroit interior landscaping company.

After visiting Planterra Conservatory, the concept for their team headshots was hard to escape. Their office is literally a giant greenhouse filled with exotic plants, trees and flowers. You can’t help but to think that you entered a tropical jungle. After jotting down a few ideas, I pitched an idea to style the employees and the shoot into the realm of Indiana Jones. The client loved the idea and promptly begun the pre-production stages which consisted mostly of securing the outfits to match the theme.

Photographing on the location at Planterra’s greenhouse made for a painless set design: we ended up moving the plants and trees around, placing them strategically to make it look like the middle of the jungle.

The next challenge was to light the scene to simulate the soft, setting light of the sun. I ended up setting up 4 Paul C Buff Einsteins:

• octabox subject front-left
• a stripbox subject rear-right
• barndoors with a grid as a kicker for plants in front of the subject
• barndoors with a grid and tungsten gel far back, simulating the sun

I was so happy that folks at Planterra were willing to go outside the box and give this unusual approach to headshots a go. It ended up being a great experience for everyone involved and resulted with some great images. Thanks you guys!

If you are looking for executive and/or employee headshots tailored to your needs, no matter how complex they might be, and consistent with your company’s vision and brand look, don’t hesitate to send us a note. We’re always happy to brainstorm ways to help our clients grow.

Cheers!

Marek Dziekonski