Photographer Spotlight: Gunnar Nettleship

During a promotional gig out on Sunset Blvd, I ran in to a guy whom I feared would be your typical LA photographer wanting to do a “photo shoot” with me. But as our communication grew stronger and his personality became more compatible with mine, I soon realized that he was just a dude with a tremendously huge heart and passion for photography.

Our first encounter for a shoot was as pleasant and professional as I had hoped for. First, I had asked him if I could bring my boyfriend as an escort. He was more than happy that he joined as long as he wasn’t a distraction. Normally I wouldn’t have asked if it was a professional job, but because this was a new experience for both of us, I wanted to have a medium.

Second, he was extremely vocal about what he was looking for in a shoot. Which I find a great quality in photographers. It’s great to be spontaneous and lively, but direction can help flow the ideas between both the model and the photographer.

Third, he gave me direction. Photographers of today (especially young ones) need to understand that modeling isn’t that hard, but knowing what the photographer is looking for is a hidden art form unless the photographer can guide us in to posing, smiling, frowning, pouting, etc. Go ahead and laugh, but put me in front of a camera and don’t say anything… I’ll be making funny faces and fart jokes.

And last, he gave me the photos back at a reasonable time! A quality I REALLY look for in a photographer. There has been MANY photographers in my time of being a model who I have shot with and took over 6weeks to never upon getting the photos. From a professional perspective, as a model, I show up on time. A photographer should return the photos ON TIME.

Either way, here is Gunnar. Someone I would recommend being a client for.

 

1. History of Gunnar's Photography. When did you get the photo bug?

I got into photography pretty early on in life. I took a photo class in 10th grade, after having assisted for a professional photographer, that was a friend of my brothers. Over time, Eric, the photographer, and I became friends. I started helping him with personal projects and eventually he hired me to work as his assistant for paying work. He was a great mentor to me. He believed in me, when I didn’t. This really helped me thru the first few years of shooting and finding what it was that I wanted to shoot.

2. What has been your biggest obstacle in becoming a successful photographer?  

Simple answer to that is, finding new clients. I still fight it today. I went to a college that did not guide me in any real way. I will not mention them, but knowing what I know now, as an adult, for such a well know, accredited, college, I would have expected more from them. I can only hope that they are now guiding their students better than they did with me.

3. What has helped you in your continued success?  

Persistence is my best asset. I don’t ever give up on something that I really want. I know that I can give any client the images they want, so I just keep chasing the dream.

4. What qualities and characteristics do you look for in a model? 

Oh man! That is a tough one. Looks-wise that is going to very depending on the project, but as for the rest… It is not what I look for, so much as what I expect from a model. You and I, Evina, are professionals. We show up on time, and ready to do what the client wants us to do. I expect nothing less of ANY model I work with. So, I guess I look for people that are really ready to do this. Make it happen and give it 100% of their focus, because I do. 

5. Describe your experience with our last photo shoot (please be honest: good, bad, ugly): 

Evina, my dear, you are so wonderful to work with. I say that with all honesty. The good: You are on time, ready for anything I throw at you, and prepared to shoot in a timely manner. The Bad: There was no bad. There has never been a bad time with you. Maybe the first time I met your boyfriend. I don’t like boyfriends. They can often change the vibe of a shoot. Now with that said, I did not get a bad vibe from him, and he was super cool when we got to chat towards the end of the shoot. So, yeah, no bad.

6. Most embarrassing photography story... :)  (keep it PG)

Most embarrassing? OK. I have a PG story that I can tell. So I was in Hawaii shooting a wedding for a friend. She and her husband-to-be had rented a house on a peninsula. The view was amazing. After finishing their nuptials, I escorted them away from the guests and did some shots of them with the sunset behind them, then I let them go, but asked them to walk away from me holding hands. I proceeded to take shots of them, lit with this amazing sunset light, walking away from me. The whole time, I keep walking a bit further backwards to get more and more of the party in the image. Well, as my luck would have it, I stepped one step too far and fell off the edge of the property and into the ocean. Fortunately for me, I was able to toss my camera at my assistant (my wife), so that I was the only thing that got wet. That was really, really embarrassing. I had to borrow clothes from the groom to get my by for the majority of the evening. Thankfully my wife caught the camera, thus allowing me to continue shooting into the night…The End ;)

To book or contact Gunnar: http://www.gunnar.org/contact.html