American Faces #32

I was introduced to Jeff S. by Randy Hatanpa, who served as art director for me on this shoot (I also featured Randy in my previous AF post). Randy’s a longtime client who’s called on Jeff numerous times to create artistic masterpieces for his own collection.

Jeff is an artist whose creativity is not expressed in the more traditional confines of drawing, pottery or any other artistic medium that automatically comes to your mind. He creates his nearly magical art through the medium of taxidermy. Jeff has an incredible ability to make deer, elk or any number of other animals look so alive they seem they could come right off the wall or walk from their pedestal. He sculpts the underlying foam models to bring out details even the hunter, angler or wildlife enthusiast may not have noticed. The intricate detail of his work is stunning, from the texture of a nose, to the color of the eyes. The lifelike similarities across all of Jeff’s work can make you feel like you’re in a room where the animals are ready to roam the halls. I know some people reading this may not necessarily appreciate or approve of taxidermy or hunting. If that’s you, I encourage you to look past that for a moment, notice the beautiful details in those mounts and appreciate the talent of an artist.

Next up: Watch for my next American Faces profile, a “sequel” to this post, featuring one of Jeff’s hunter clients.

American Faces - #31

I met Craig L. at a recent photoshoot in Dayton, Minnesota. Our brief conversation led to Craig talking about his service to our country as a Marine in the late 1970’s. I could see there was a sense of pride in his eyes as he spoke of his service. Likewise, when he mentioned his son who is currently serving, I could tell this man, this father of a soldier was proud of the path his son has taken. Craig’s life may not be easy, but this man is worthy of our appreciation. He served our country, but maybe more than that is he is our neighbor. When you meet the “Craigs” of our world say thank you, shake their hand, and maybe even buy them a cup of coffee.

American Faces #30

This story begins back in 1996. That’s when I first met Randy Hatanpa. At the time, Randy was the creative director at an agency in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and I was at a studio just down the road. We’ve worked on many projects together and have had countless conversations over the years since, and in that time found we share a common love for the outdoors. But more recently I discovered that Randy harbors a near fanatical passion for Muskie fishing, and making custom lures.

I also learned that Randy shares this obsession with his son, Corey, and together they make and sell artisan-quality muskie lures under the banner Gen1:20 Lures. When I visited their shop to shoot this photo, Corey broke into a big smile and told me about the careful work that goes into each lure, from the individual resin casting, to the detailed custom painting, and even the multiple layers of clear epoxy finish that make each one a work of art. Randy and Corey’s deep bond, and the love they have for their work and each other, is evident as they talk about their lures, and the elusive fish those lures are made to entice. Their eyes light up when they talk about their time together on the water and share photos of the monster fish they’ve caught. Those lures may be meant for muskies, but clearly they’ve also reeled father and son closer together.

So, twenty-plus years later, life’s taken some interesting turns, but Randy and I still do the occasional photo project together, and we still talk about the outdoors. But now we also talk about our kids, the memories we’re making and the legacies we want to leave them. It seems Randy can still find new and creative ways to inspire me.