Who's in the Crew? - Spotlight on Lisa Marie Pane

NAME: Lisa Marie Pane -
www.lmpanephotography.com
www.treasurevalleyportraits.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/l-m-pane-15628a124/
IG: @lmpanephotography and @idahoheadshots
Twitter: @lm_pane
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lmpanephotography/
HSC: https://headshotcrew.com/lisamariepane

WHERE ARE YOU FROM AND WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW? I was born and raised in Connecticut and have lived in every single New England state except for Maine. I’ve lived a couple of times in New York (once in lower Manhattan halfway between the World Trade Center and South Street Seaport pre-9/11, and once in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, post 9/11). I then spent a decade in metro Atlanta before moving in 2018 to Boise, Idaho, the fastest-growing metro area in the country. It’s got a great mix of the mountains, four seasons without (usually) blizzards, plus massive canyons, the tallest sand dunes in North America, and just a few hours’ driving distance to my happy place: Yellowstone National Park.


HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SHOOTING HEADSHOTS? I think I took my very first headshot in 2016. I pretty much flailed about, completely clueless about lighting and everything else that is taught here. I had people sitting. I had people with the most awkward expressions. And my lighting was completely jacked up. I had until then mostly shot landscapes and cityscapes, but Georgia isn’t exactly the most interesting place in terms of the landscape so I started to look at getting humans in front of my camera. In 2016, I shifted from a 24/7/365 job in management overseeing news coverage in the Southeastern U.S. for The Associated Press (everything from the Gulf Oil Spill and countless hurricanes and tornadoes to the Trayvon Martin case) into a new role as a national writer covering issues related to firearms and law enforcement. Being a reporter has given me a lot more freedom (goodbye to an endless string of conference calls and being on call day and night!) to pursue my love of photography, and photography is also a wonderful outlet. Covering issues related to guns and law enforcement can frankly be draining and soul-crushing, and the photography helps me feel as though I’m helping others and bringing them some joy.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU LIKE TO SHOOT? Heirloom or Vanity Fair-style portraits. On the side, I travel around the region and shoot landscape and wildlife, but it’s more of a personal project than a money-making endeavor. I’ve also shot sports. I used to own a sports photography business in Georgia that focused on trail running, mountain bike races, and marathons, triathlons. I’m considered a “multi-platform” journalist for the AP, so besides producing text stories, I shoot portraits to accompany my articles — and have shot an occasional college football game for the AP.

WHAT’S YOUR LIGHTING SETUP FOR HEADSHOTS? I use the original Peter Hurley FlexKit, which really helped me elevate my headshot game! I mostly shoot using the triangle setup and have begun incorporating the heavily feathered two-panel setup. (Thanks, Kim, for your posts showing good setups for that!)

WHEN DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER PH AND THE HSC? I think it was from watching a Creative Live class, probably around late 2016. I saw this crazy dude with wild curly hair who was so passionate about headshots that it was infectious! I was immediately drawn in and signed up for the Headshot Intensive he held in his NYC studio in March 2017. At the intensive, I remember vividly loving the camaraderie among those who attended. I’ve made some lifelong friendships just from the intensive!


HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO JOIN THE CREW ONCE YOU FOUND IT? It didn’t take long. I think I signed up a couple of months before the intensive, so probably around January 2017.

TELL US ABOUT THE SPACE YOU SHOOT IN. DO YOU OWN IT, RENT IT OR LIVE IN IT? I’m currently leasing a studio that’s about 350 square feet in a business complex. I’ve quickly outgrown it and am in the midst of moving to a studio in the same complex that will be about 1,000 square feet and will have a cyc wall that is being built right now. That will be the fifth studio I’ve ever had and will likely be the last one I ever rent since it checks all the boxes I’ve been longing for. Still, my very first space pretty much rocked: It was at the Goat Farm in Atlanta, which was used for various TV shows and movies, including The Walking Dead and the Hunger Games.

WHAT IS ONE THING PEOPLE WOULD NEVER GUESS ABOUT YOU? I’m a bit of a fitness junkie. I’ve hiked 64 of the 67 New England mountains that are 4,000-feet and higher. I’ve run a bunch of half marathons and 10Ks and 5Ks. I’m an avid weightlifter and at one time held the state powerlifting records in Georgia in my age and weight class for bench press, squat, and deadlift. Love love love squatting and deadlifting especially! That said, I could stand to lose more than a few pounds and had better start doing a bit more cardio!

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WISH PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT YOU? I’m an introvert who loves to socialize. It’s an odd mix but I think it’s one reason I love headshot and portrait photography: I get to meet cool and interesting people, find out a bit about them and their backstory, hopefully bring some joy into their lives by allowing them to see themselves in ways they never thought possible — and then head home to the quiet of the foothills and recharge my batteries.