Concept Photography — Cherry Creek Reservoir, CO
Low Tide
A suit and tie at a drought-stricken reservoir — juxtaposition as the entire point.
Concept Shoot
01The idea first
Nobody wears a suit and tie to the edge of a reservoir. That's exactly why I wanted to shoot one there. A lot of my favorite concept work comes from the same instinct: take something that belongs in one world, and put it somewhere it has no business being. The tension does most of the work before a single frame is even composed.
This one started with that idea alone — not a location, not a model, not a wardrobe. Just the thought of formalwear standing somewhere formal has never been.
The whole shoot works because it shouldn't work. That's the point.
Cherry Creek Reservoir — water levels well below normal
02Why this reservoir
Cherry Creek Reservoir is in the middle of a serious drought. Right next to where we shot stands a tower marked with measurement lines showing where the water is supposed to reach. It wasn't close. The gap between those lines and the actual waterline said more about the location than I could have staged myself.
It was also over 90 degrees the day we shot — which meant a model in a full suit, standing on dry, cracked ground that used to be underwater, in the middle of a heat wave. That discomfort is part of the honesty of the image. Nothing about it was comfortable, and it isn't supposed to look like it was.
03The tie detail
Ashlee wore a tie for this — one splash of real color against everything else in the frame. It's a small detail, but it's the one that ties the whole concept together. Once you notice it, the title makes a little more sense than it first seems to.
I didn't want the color to dominate the shot. It's there to be found, not to announce itself — the same restraint I try to bring to a lot of my concept work.
A reservoir doesn't have tides. That's exactly why the name fits.
On location — Cherry Creek Reservoir, Aurora/Denver metro
If you're prepping for your first comp card, or your agency just asked for an updated one, ask me your questions before you book. No upsell, no pressure — I'd rather you show up knowing what you're getting.
— Robert
