The Muse, from the Unraveled Academy

muse (noun) a person or personified force who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist

The Muse is our way of bringing inspiration to the creative world. Seeing a photographer for just one picture is not the whole picture… so we are bringing you more, to give you a deeper look into the artists who inspire us and we call, muses.

Chelsey Schueller | Tennessee
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What gear did you use for this shoot?

For this shoot I used my Sony A7III & my 35mm

What was your “muse” or inspiration for this shoot?

My kids favorite store is the Dollar General, they always ask to stop there because supposedly they have the best snacks! I knew that I wanted to photograph them there, in some way and I knew I wanted it to be punny & editorial.

We started with their outfits. I knew I wanted it to be DG meets GQ (ish). Plus, I wanted to work within the color theory. I would have loved if her outfit was an even darker shade of pink, but I think it still worked!

After picking out their outfits, I was making a mood board and put some money in the background. *light bulb.* That is when we asked a friend to borrow their money gun and filled it with prop $100 bills. You know the mantra “money burns a whole in my pocket”? That’s my kids at the DG. Also, because $100 is $1 to a kid. Kids and money are both connected and disconnected. You need one to have the other but you can’t always have both.

I cannot take any credit for their personality (maybe a little). My kids are so used to me having a camera everywhere. Normally they get over me quickly. But they know when to show the camera some suave. I guess you could say they “understood the assignment”. Although this session didn’t take very long, I always reach out to a manager and ask for permission. When shooting in highly trafficked areas like grocery stores, restaurants, etc.. I am always alert to other patrons, making sure not to impede their shopping or dining. 9 out of 10 times they want to stop and watch or comment how fun it looks!

If this kind of session is something you would like to try, my advice would be not to be afraid! Typically everyone is very nice & curious.

It’s such a fun way to switch things up, get inspired, & express yourself!

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