Featured Artist: Clayton Austin

The images looked like they came straight off an album cover. Perfectly shot, well-executed, and thoughtfully crafted from top to bottom. But as well-taken as the pictures were, that wasn’t what really caught my eye. It was the piano. They were pictures of a couple sitting next to a piano in the middle of a field. Who does that? And that’s how I first learned of Clayton Austin.

I gave Clayton a call at his sunny hometown of Austin, Texas. It was a balmy 70 degrees that Thursday afternoon, a stark contrast to my office’s snow-covered windows and New York’s sub-zero temperatures. His tone is resonant and calming – he possesses a relaxed accessibility that belies his confidence. It surprised me to hear that he first picked up a camera in March of 2009, and this would only be his second full season on the job. He went from 20 weddings in his first year, to 43 in his second, and now has 53 on the books for 2011. Better yet? Almost none of them are local. About half are in California with locations as remote as Fiji, Ecuador, Spain, and Australia.

How did he do it? A sterling work ethic, a beautiful look, and word of mouth. His pictures have been picked up on blogs across the country. And it’s no surprise he’s found such success. His pictures are lush, filled with mood and longing. They float. And his consistency is enviable. There are no weak shoots, no off days. There is only his vision imprinted on couple after couple, fitted like a finely tailored suit.

None of this is blind fortune, though. The fact that he took the time and effort to bring a piano into the middle of a field for a shoot says a lot. But what is truly remarkable about this story isn’t that he did it once. It’s that he did it twelve times, traveling across the country over 6,000 miles with the same piano.

He meticulously labors over every aspect of his business. Before going into a shoot, he knows exactly what images he wants, and he only shows the work that speaks of his vision on his blog. He even picks the locations for his couples. “Clients come to me for a particular type of image, and to get that picture, I need to be able to select locations that create the right feel.” The majority of his pictures are created with only two lenses – a 45mm tilt-shift and a 35mm f/1.4 – shot on his full frame EOS 5D mark 2. The tilt-shift helps create his signature dreaminess, while the 35 lets him get close and personal.

As natural as his pictures appear, Clayton is very precise in his posing. Everything down to hand and foot position is controlled. “I’m a little different from most photographers. I don’t have a lot of discussions with my clients about how they met, and where they’re from. I don’t get that involved with them, because I’m completely focused on creating the image, and I need it to look just right. It’s not the couple’s past that factors into the picture for me, so much as their future.”

I asked him where his signature birds came from. He told me a story about his grandfather, who once told Clayton that love was like a bird. If you hold it tightly, it dies. If you hold it slightly, it flies. That was something he never forgot, and it’s telling about what is likely the most important part of his success. For him, everything is personal.

Clayton’s Top Tips
1. Know your programs. Clayton starts with Lightroom to convert images to JPG, then finishes them in Photoshop, which he attacks relentlessly. He has made sure to take the time to know how to work through Photoshop backwards and forwards to efficiently process his images in minimal time.

2. Know what your style is and the type of images you want to produce

3. Know your equipment. Clayton went though every lens before settling on just 3. If he doesn’t use a lens enough, he takes it out of his kit. Every tool you use should be productive.

Images by Clayton Austin:

You can learn more about Clayton on his website and blog.

Website: claytonaustinlovestories.com
Blog: claytonaustinlovestories.com/blog/