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Boston Image Makers provide a way for fashion professionals to network and collaborate.
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Ron Ranere, professional photographer and founder of the Boston Image Makers group, has a different vision of the industry: one of collaboration, cooperation and teamwork.
Ranere was formally educated as an architect, but has maintained a passion for photography since youth. Raised in Revere, he resides in Reading and owns Positive Image Photography located at 135 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston. His office is also home to his architecture firm.
Ranere saw the need for a group like Image Makers from his involvement with the Boston Fashion Industry Meetup Group on Meetup.com. As assistant organizer, he decided to found a sub-group for photographers, stylists, makeup artists, models and designers to get together and “make images.”
The Fashion Industry Meetup Group, headed by designer, engineer and educator Shirley Willet, was founded in 2004. The group exists primarily for networking purposes and consists of members at all levels of the fashion industry, from photographers to designers to buyers. “Meetups” are held once a month at various locations in Boston. The April Meetup is to be held at ZWeave, a design software company in Cambridge, on April 16.
The Image Makers' first photography shoot took place at Ranere’s studio on Jan. 24. The participants spent about two hours defining their mission and creating a group strategy. They decided that each month, a different member would volunteer as creative director and organize and conceptualize the next photography shoot.
After the discussion, the group photographed models Hui and Jo-Jo, who wore their own clothing and applied their own make up.
“Long range, I’d expect it to be a national thing that people belong to and work gets referred back and forth,” he explained.
For amateur and inexperienced members, the group provides an opportunity to learn from industry veterans and improve their portfolios.
“When people join [the Image Makers], they get to learn from the more experienced people,” said Ranere.
Jo-Jo (as she goes by in the modeling world) is a government research specialist by day, but has pursued fashion modeling as a side hobby for almost five years.
“I just decided to do it because it’s a hidden passion,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to do it when I was younger. I just decided at the age of 27 to try it out.”
Since Jo-Jo has no formal training, she benefits from participating in Image Makers photography shoots because it’s a way to network and build her portfolio.
“It’s actually been a great networking experience so far,” she said. “It’s hard to get in touch with designers, and I think so far what I like about it is that not only are you meeting photographers that you could potentially work for, but you meet designers that need models for their fashion shows.”
Bert Halstead, another member, is a software developer who has maintained a serious interest in photography for years. He volunteered as creative director for the next shoot, which will take place on April 5 at CoverShot Studio in Lawrence, where he works with the RiversEdge Photographic Society.
For Halstead, photography is a passion he hopes to dedicate more time to when he eventually retires. He hopes to improve his fashion photography skills and network with other fashion professionals within the Image Makers group.
“For me personally, it’s not a matter of quitting my day job and making a living on photography,” Halstead said. “But... as I look forward to being semi-retired… being able to do useful things with photography is an idea that I think is interesting."
While the group does provide exposure and a learning experience for amateur members, it is important for more experienced professionals to participate as well. The group specifically needs more experienced designers, Ranere said. Many of the group’s makeup artists and stylists also have little to no fashion print experience, he added.
For the April 5 photography shoot, several designers have signed on board.
Ranere hopes that the Image Makers will expand and attract a wider network of fashion industry professionals of all levels as well as amateurs. The group consists of 38 members and has grown every month since it started. Ranere said that he is pleased with the direction the group is headed in.
More information about the Fashion Industry Meetup Group and the Image Makers subgroup can be found on Meetup.com. Membership is free, but photographers pay a small fee decided on by the creative director to participate in each Image Maker's shoot.
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