chicago Dec 2015

Groundfire Pictures was founded in 2012 by photographers Charlie Simokaitis and Jason Creps. With a combined 25 years of experience creating compelling visual content, they have travelled six continents for their advertising, design and music industry clients.

A partial client list includes 50,000feet, Abbott Labs, Accenture, Addison, Anti Records, Arc Worldwide, BBDO, BMW, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Burrell, Carrot Top Records, Chicago Reader, Citadel, Coates+Coates, Coca-Cola, CME Group, Crosby Associates, DDB, DRAFTFCB, Embassy of Nicaragua, Entertainment Weekly, Goldman Sachs, Grant Thornton, Harley-Davidson, IBM, Intel, J Walter Thompson, Joyce Foundation, Knob Creek, Kym Abrams Design, Leo Burnett, MasterCard, McDonalds, McCann Erickson, Momentum, Motorola, National Equity Fund, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, PBS, Sara Lee, Sony, SRAM, Starbucks, Synergy Creative, University of Chicago, University Healthcare Systems, VSA Partners, Weber, Wellpoint, World Channel and World Headquarters. Inc.

Videos by Groundfire Pictures were featured in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Communication Arts Photography Annual as well as broadcast on the World Channel.

Jacob Watts is a photographer and Photoshop wizard based in Chicago. He creates his own photo-illustrations and offers creative retouching to other photographers and companies. With his zeal for creating images, he finds a way to marry unique vision and technical skill.

Jacob grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and quickly migrated his way to the city where he now resides. Whether at home, in studio or on location, he is prepared to take on any visual task.

Jacob tries to create a new image every day to stay on top of his game and push his creative limits - when he is not binge watching X-Files!

The F Stop Studio is conveniently located just outside downtown Chicago. The studio features 4000 square feet with an open floor plan, two back-to-back commercial kitchens, a comfortable client space, and 90 ft. of window space allowing eastern and western daylight exposure as well as blackout capabilities.

The studio’s double kitchen space allows the ability to maximise space and time for any food or drink photographer, while the open floor space and convenient yet comfortable client area allows a variety of possibilities intended to fit the needs of any photo or video production. The modern yet rustic touch provides an authentic and alluring atmosphere that brings every production to the next level.

With welcoming staff, premium amenities and convenient location, The F Stop Studio is designed to fit every need for a flawless production.

Joe Pellegrini is a photographer, artist and all-around talent. He loves making photographs and has the soul of a true artist. He has had the good fortune to be a Chicago photographer for over 20 years. Whether it’s shooting a national ad, cookbook, or a packaging assignment, Joe uses every part of his artistic being to create the best photographs he can.

Joe has a creative edge to his work, whether it’s crafting the perfect ice cube to fit in a custom glass, or creating a hand painted background to complement the shot. Clients can always depend on him giving every job his all. He has collaborated with clients including Subway, Coca-Cola and Kellogg’s.

When Joe is not in his studio shooting photography or spending time with his family, he is most likely to be found creating wonderful works of art.

A self-proclaimed dog lover, Cynthia Lynn is a Chicago-based photographer specialised in capturing the uniqueness of our most beloved companions. She focuses on creating an environment that draws her audience into the animal through a genuine connection as well as creative expression.

Cynthia takes her love for animals into all aspects of her work, including interiors, environmental portraiture, travel and conceptual imagery. Her work can be seen in various regional and national publications as well as advertisements.

When not travelling, she is at home with her husband and their two dogs, whom she loves equally. She donates her free time to the local animal shelters, with photography services and fostering dogs in need by bringing them into her home.

Colgan Photographic is a diverse studio with over 25 years of experience in commercial photography, working with a wide variety of businesses around the globe, from small to medium sized corporations to Fortune 500 companies.

Mitch Colgan is known for his location photography capabilities and is based in the Midwestern state of Illinois. Mitch has been commissioned on annual reports, advertising and editorial assignments all across the US and in more than 25 countries on six continents. He and his team have been put in some of the most extreme shooting conditions imaginable, from the heat and humidity of remote regions of the Amazon to the subzero temperatures of northern Canada.

Still, there is nothing Mitch would rather do.

He is as comfortable photographing a CEO from a Fortune 500 company as he is creating images of a cattle farmer in the middle of a feedlot - just part of the reason his clients continue to hire him year after year.

Chris Litwin is a Chicago-based photographer with a passion for food, beverage, and still life photography. Having studied sculpture in college and studio photography in graduate school, Chris has a unique perspective of the objects he shoots.

Chris enjoys a photographic challenge. His unique work is not only alluring, but reflects his strong technical skills and attention to fine detail. His clients appreciate Chris' ability to produce superb work in a comfortable and enjoyable studio setting.

Chris' work has been featured in multiple magazines, billboards, television spots, books, and packaging by a host of brand name clients and advertising agencies.

Saverio Truglia captures challenging subjects with unexpected conceptual twists. An award-winning portrait and advertising photographer, Saverio is recognised for his wry sense of humour and narrative sensibility.

His sociable character and high technical standards bring together believable realism and the visual polish expected of contemporary advertising.

Having an innate mode of collaboration, Saverio comes to the table with confidence to merge his inspiration with others, "overturning rocks to invent fresh ways of visualising ideas."

"From curds and whey to way cool sneakers, there's no end to what Scott Lanza has seen and photographed.

Fish inside a guitar? Yes. Five hundred pound cheese wheel? Yep. Tattooed chefs? He's done that, too! From people, real or talent, to food, to products and vehicles, and everything in between. Part artist, part scientist, part inventor - Scott has a knack for creating dynamic images that span a variety of subjects.

On a typical day, Scott can be found buzzing around his 3,800 square foot studio, located in the rural countryside of Muskego, Wisconsin, a hop, skip, and a jump from major city attractions in downtown Milwaukee. And when he's not behind the camera he'll be in front of the computer (with a little help from his cats) retouching images, a service he provides his clientele.

An abridged list of clients includes Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, In-Sink-Erator, Pyrex Products, JI Case, A&W, Merillat Windows, Wahl Products, Rubbermaid, Yamaha, Mizuno, Blue Bunny, Cousins Subs, Finch Beer, Sara Lee and Manpower.