SternRep: Where was this project shot?

Caleb Kuhl: First leg was shot in Salt Lake City, Utah. The 2nd Leg was shot in Todos Santos, Mexico.

SR: What was the inspiration/moodboard/creative direction for the shoot?

CK: The client expressed everything was to be natural, candid, warm and inviting.

SR: What kind of gear did you shoot with?

CK: I shot with my trusty Nikon d850 and combination of Nikon Zoom lenses and Sigma Art Prime lenses. Some setups required supplemental lighting in which case I used Arri Skypanel.  

SR: How much was shot in natural light?

CK: 90% of the setups were natural light.

SR: How was the talent chosen?

CK: The talent was vetted through the ad agency. They were picked for their unique small business model and how it related to the Chase / American Airlines travel card.

SR: Your work always seems to have this vibrant feeling of aliveness and joy and adventure in it. Hey, how do you do that? 

CK: That’s a great question and I’m not sure exactly how to put my finger on the answer. I’d say I just look for those real moments, it’s sort of a “gut” thing. Sometimes the talent requires coaching, but typically I like to sit back and let them be themselves. If I see something that I like that they naturally do themselves I try to hone in on that, I may coach them to repeat that same moment over and over, until I capture it on camera.

SR: Did you learn anything on this shoot? Or discover anything about yourself as a photographer/artist/director?

CK: I was shooting alongside motion for this particular shoot, the media buy was 50/50. So if I learned anything it was how to shoot even faster than I normally do. To make sure and pay attention and be super efficient with my time.