Rising Stars: Meet Garrett and Michelle Schurman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Garrett and Michelle Schurman.

Hi Garrett and Michelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Garrett and I own and operate Iron Image Productions, a photography business in Littleton, Colorado. We both have completely different backgrounds but have found that when we combine our unique skill sets together it results in amazing outcomes. We’ve been working together for around 14 years and officially founded Iron Image Productions in 2020.

Garrett is the main photographer of Iron Image and he grew up in the high rockies. He essentially spent his childhood on the back of a horse, exploring the backcountry of the Colorado mountains, packing in for several weeks at a time. He grew to have a passion and love of nature photography, capturing wildlife and landscapes. He blends his old school background with new school technology, shooting with a Sony A7RIII and his array of G Master lenses. He is the outdoorsman of the two of us and is one of those people that could probably survive for months on end in the wilderness with nothing but a pocket knife.

I’m the editor of the duo and have always had an interest in the arts. Growing up, you’d most likely find me in a quiet corner writing or doodling in one of my many sketchbooks. I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2012 and have been instructing at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design going on seven years now. I teach my students digital painting, sound and video design and pre-production techniques in programs like Adobe Photoshop, Premiere Pro and Storyboard Pro. I have a passion for exploring narrative visually.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When you own a small business, there is the challenge of never having enough hours in the day. You are not just the photographer or editor, you’re the bookkeeper, the marketer, the social media manager, the scheduler – just to name a few. Even when you’re ahead on a good portion of your tasks, there is always something else that needs to be done. Garrett and I both have other interests outside of photography, so naturally it is nearly impossible to give adequate time to everything we want to accomplish. It’s important to have a passion for your work, as it keeps that momentum going from project to project and shows in the work itself. We have found that following a schedule and delegating tasks is a must.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Iron Image Productions is a photography business in Littleton Colorado. We specialize in multiple genres photography; portraits, wildlife, landscape, nature, product, professional, family and even pets! Our work is known for bold colors and dynamic lighting. I’m a color theory nerd and enjoy exploring that in my work especially. Garrett is always chasing that perfect lighting scenario or creating it himself.

What sets our work apart is the quality and the consideration – we have the equipment, experience and knowledge to create strong photos. We also both strive to explore visual narratives in our work, finding the little mini stories in each shot.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Luck is certainly an aspect that exists and it is welcome when it decides to make an appearance. Recently, we decided to take a quick little camping trip and happened across two bull moose on our morning hike, which was certainly a lucky occurrence. We were even more fortunate that Garrett was carrying his camera and the perfect lens to capture them with (and that they decided to pose instead of charge us). On top of that, the sun had just risen, casting a perfect golden glow, providing us the perfect lighting situation. The funny thing is, we almost didn’t take that camping trip, as we had a lot of work to catch up on. When everything seems to align perfectly in moments like that, luck is the only explanation. It is rare, but it happens.

However, we’ve found that the more time and effort we put into our craft, the luckier we seem to be in accomplishing our goals. Every person has a certain degree of control over their luck; the more work you do, the more opportunities you create for yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ironimageproductions.com/
• Instagram: @ironimageproductions
• Facebook: @ironimageproductions

Image Credits
Iron Image Productions