Jeff Singer’s All American Road Trip
After being impressed by the previous work of photographer Jeff Singer, ad agency VSA Partners contacted him with a one of a kind job offer. Their client, USAA (an insurance company for families of veterans), wanted to profile veterans and their families for an annual company report published to it’s members. Getting all the necessary shots would entail a cross country trip spanning from California to Florida – a challenge Jeff was more than happy to undertake.
Travelling with Art Director Britta Hernalsteen, Jeff and his small crew hit the road with as much equipment as they could realistically carry. As they travelled, they scheduled shooting appointments with various veterans and active military members throughout five different states. Given the fact that they never knew exactly what to expect upon arriving (they could only scout the area for shooting locations after they arrived), one would think this would be a particularly lengthy process. Miraculously, however, the intrepid team was able to complete the entire photo series in just over a week, with minimal speedbumps along the way.
One particularly memorable “speedbump” occurred during a shoot in the middle of a national park. As luck would have it, the day of the shoot saw a torrential downpour. Being on a tight schedule, there really was no time to postpone – the shoot had to proceed. As the pounding rain hammered Jeff and his crew, they were able to set up a makeshift shelter from photo scrims and dry off the scene just enough to get the pictures they needed. While hiking the half-mile back through the mud to the parking lot, one of Jeff’s assistants happened upon a curious sight on the ground – the keys to the rental car which Jeff didn’t even realize had fallen out of his pocket earlier that morning. “I mean, what are the odds that we walked the same path back to the car as the one we took going in. Talk about luck, we would have been totally stranded!”
Despite minor obstacles like this, the whole shoot was a huge success, and quite a blast according to Jeff. “The highlights of the trip were eating amazing barbecue in Austin, and cruising 6th St checking out some great music venues” recalled Jeff. The tight scheduling and often inclement conditions paid off, as VSA Partners was elated with the final product, as was their client USAA.
For more of Jeff’s fantastic editorial and commercial work, visit his FoundFolios Portfolio.
