Model Hobby

Written by Linda Palacios

Thursday, 13 May 2010 22:09

Model Hobby
Some men make model cars as a hobby, but this local man uses human models to make his artistic creations. Learn how his concept shots take women from the everyday to the unbelievable.

Starting out, models don't have much money to spend on portfolio shots, and local photographer Steve Maisch knows that. So Maisch offers local women a win-win situation: He'll help build their portfolio if they help build his.

This 9-to-5 senior systems analyst needs some sort of artistic release after he leaves his cubicle. He used to express his creativity in writing screen plays for independent films that played at international film festivals, but then he found a simpler art form in concept photography — simpler in that a shoot didn't necessarily need a director, a producer, a stage crew, actors, etc. Photography allows for him to include as many people as he wants while still being able to get it down to just two people — the model and him.

As you might have guessed, this isn't your average family portrait and wedding photographer. Maisch looks to photography more as a way to express his own imagination through set design, camera angles, Photoshop, you name it while creating photos fit for a magazine.

While some of his favorite shows are "Project Runway" and "Sheer Genius," he calls himself "a man's man," as he admits that he doesn't know much about fashion and beauty style and trends. So he brings in hair-stylist wife, Tanya, and Serket Jewelry into his artwork. They prepare the models with hair, makeup and accessories before sending them for their shoot with Maisch.

During the shoot, he "keeps things sexy but classy," says Maisch, a father of three daughters. This way even his daughters can help collaborate on the shoots.

Maisch even has a shoot coming up where he is planning to have some made-up and styled-out Greek gods on a Photoshopped Mt. Olympus, and he got the idea from his 13-year-old daughter who was learning about the Greek gods in school. For the shoot, Maisch is working with local fashion designer Melanie Hernandez for some high-fashion togas — yes, high-fashion togas.

Collaboration aside, Maisch's work truly is his own artwork. His distinctive style includes the exaggerated, the unreal and the downright impossible. One of his model shots included a girl dressed in black and white on a vibrantly colored playground. As he was

looking at the shot, his artistic eye saw something missing, so he added in a tornado in the background.

To see more of Maisch's work or for more information, head to Facebook and visit the Steve Maisch Photography page.

PHOTO CREDITS

Top Photo

Photographer: Steve Maisch

Model: Kerri Lee

Second Photo

Photographer: Steve Maisch

Model: Melanie Hernandez

Bottom Photo

Photographer Steve Maisch

Model: Peggie Suicide

Linda Palacios -
	Linda Palacios is the editor of Cincy Chic. Send her an e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .Read More >>

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