Sleuthing for Clues in North Dakota

Gas station … boy, how am I going to get creative with that?

That’s what went through my head when a business magazine art director contacted me recently to photograph a North Dakota convenience store. She requested images of a remodel and a creative portrait of the owner.

When meeting my subjects for the first time, I leave my camera gear in the car and look first to start a conversation to see what I might learn that will spark ideas. It’s a tactic that came in handy on this recent assignment.

When I arrived I found the owner, Paul, behind the counter slapping pepperoni on a pizza. I introduced myself and asked him how he was doing.

“Oh man, I have an order for 50 pizzas from the high school. Ever since we put this Hunt Brothers in it’s been crazy. Let me get back with you.”

Boom! Even though the conversation was brief, I had all the clues I needed for a portrait idea that would feature the most successful piece of the remodel and show the kind of person Paul was—an owner not above getting his hands dirty.

Do you have an upcoming project that needs creative photography in a challenging environment? If so, I’d love to connect with you.