chicago May 2011

Schumann & Company represents nationally noted, award winning photographers.

Award recognition includes, CA, Print, Graphis, PDN, NYADC, AIGA and How.

Patti Schumann, founding agent, travels nationally for portfolio presentations, seminars and guest lectures.

Schumann & Company’s mission is to listen well, present solutions accordingly, negotiate fairly and deliver exceptional imagery.

Melanie Trombley has been producing and coordinating shoots for over 11 years. She and her team hire crews, secure studio rentals and locations, coordinate talent castings, source difficult props, handle scheduling and budgets, travel, catering and accommodation.

Her most recent work includes:

• Working with Jens Boldt of Germany on the Otto annual report, shooting the CEO of Crate & Barrel in Chicago.
• Production, prop sourcing and casting an ad for Insure Hi-Tech with Robert Randall and the CBK Group.
• Casting talent for a Botox ad.
• Production and coordination for a large weeklong shoot for Dell in Austin, Texas, with photography duo Bohman & Sjøstrand of Sweden for the agencies Enfatico and WundermanNYC.

Visit the website for more information.

Al MacDonald is a food and advertising photographer conveniently located near Chicago's O'Hare airport. For over 35 years, he has been commissioned by leading food companies and restaurants from several countries. Al and his current business partner, Renee, have created an impressive body of work for the food industry. They have extensive experience in producing photos for frozen food retail packaging as well as B2B advertising, recipe illustration and foodservice applications. 

The 5400 sq. ft. studio facility has a comfortable client lounge and an extensive prop room. The large fully equipped kitchen has KitchenAid Pro series appliances along with additional commercial refrigeration and freezers. Al uses a large format Sinar digital system which produces files capable of enlargement for point of sale posters as well as trade show booth displays and outdoor boards.

Visit the website for more information.

Projects with Deborah Fletcher can be relied upon to be fun, collaborative, creative endeavors that are on time, under budget and result in fantastic imagery.

Whether seeking that perfect angle, finessing lighting or orchestrating the myriad details of her creative team, Deborah’s extensive experience and passion for her work shine through, frequently speckled with humour.

While remaining open to all adventures in photography, her primary areas of focus are food, product, still life and room scenes, in her studio or out on location. Of her wide range of clients, some recent relationships include McDonald's, Proctor & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline, SC Johnson and Allstate.

Robb Long understands the importance of delivering a strong and consistent brand image, whether his role is photographer, director of photography, or commercial director.

With a clear concept in place, Robb then sets the artistry in motion. He works with a top-notch production team, overseeing every aspect of the shoot.

Robb and Pixel Farm Digital recently created 'Living Posters' for Fulton Beer. Combining photography and video, 'Living Posters' produce a fluid-motion effect that makes still photos look as if they have suddenly ‘come to life’ and are moving.

Tim Zwica has been creating visual effects for film, television and games for 18 years. Most recently he produced, wrote and directed a film entitled 'The Nest' for which he also generated over 140 visual effects shots.

Tim also created visual effects for two music videos in 2010: 'Nothing At All' by Levi Kries, (directed by Davidson Cole), which was nominated for a Midwest Independent Film Award and hit number one on MTV.com, and 'Courage' by Flatfoot 56, (directed by Kendal Miller) that was nominated for a Chicago Emmy.

Visit his website for more information.

Sébastien Audinelle was born and raised in Paris, France. When he moved to Chicago in 2000 he spent a couple of years as both a cameraman and editor. This experience was a great introduction to working fast and efficiently, while producing excellent quality results.

As a trained musician, the Steadicam felt like an instrument in his hands that he could use to add dimension and dynamic movement to whatever he was shooting. Always trying to perfect his knowledge and technical skills, Sébastien targets projects with an international focus that combine his love for video and travel. Sébastien strives to create images with a powerful and emotional visual impact.

Courtney Rust absolutely loves her job of telling stories through wardrobe and prop styling. Working with top ad agencies, magazines, catalogue houses, photographers, directors and costume departments, she feels lucky to have a job that she didn’t even know existed back when she wrote her 2nd grade essay about wanting to become a fighter pilot.

To Courtney, it is the details that tell the stories and showcase the concepts, which makes it her goal for all the elements in the frame to work together harmoniously. When she is hired for an assignment she leaves no rock unturned and tries to make everyone's job a little easier by going above her job description. She is very creative, resourceful, always budget minded, and enjoys nothing more than collaborating with other creatives.

Being based out of Chicago has allowed Courtney to work with production crews all over the map. Her clients include Coca-Cola, AT&T, SC Johnson, Draft FCB, BlackBerry, VSA Partners, American Express, Lands End, Razorfish, Playboy Magazine, Winkreative, Burger King, Delta, Modem, USPS, Windex, Cintas, Volkswagen, Young & Rubicam, Audi, Harley Davidson, Esquire Magazine and Rolling Stone Magazine.

Carolyn Lawrence is a photo stylist and set designer specialising in rooms and tabletop, with extensive experience both in studio and on location.

Carolyn's studies in art, textiles and fashion design coupled with her work as a colour stylist combine to make styling her perfect profession. She is at ease with all design styles (eclectic, modern, traditional, etc.) and her propping style is flexible (lifestyle to minimal).  She loves to collaborate, plays well with others, and can be quite amusing.

Clients include Spiegel, Otto Japan, Anheuser Busch, JC Penney, Valspar and Chi'asso.

Sandy Morris is a make-up artist and hair stylist extraordinaire working in Chicago. Having trained in the theatre and working at the Lyric Opera for six years, she is no stranger to f/x and has a particular fascination with gore.

Sandy has worked as a make-up artist and licensed hair stylist for over 15 years with an extensive celebrity list and experience in every medium: print, film, TV, and currently HD. From rock stars to Playboy Playmates and CEOs, Sandy is comfortable working with everyone.

Visit her website for more information.

Vinh Lu Locations is a full service location company with dedicated Union and Non-Union location scouts and managers to assist on any size budget shoot. The company's scouts have travelled and worked out of state and are willing to travel to any destination to meet clients' needs.

Clients range from small photo shoots to large studio features. Vinh Lu Locations is capable of providing insurance for out of country productions or to assist on recommendations for local talent and crew.