THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Walter McClay has been shooting professionally for more than a decade in the St. Louis and Chicago areas and is currently based out of St. Louis.

Walter works “Exclusively” with Denise Lopez as his Makeup Artist and Fashion Stylist Coordinator. Denise also assists as Creative Director, sharing the same visionary direction. Combining their creative talents for over twenty years, ensuring their clients of a distinctive style of imagery that is appreciated by everyone from individuals, to commercial clients, to those in the modeling industry.

McClay Photography’s focus is predominantly Commercial Print, Lifestyle, Beauty, Editorial and Fashion. They strive for excellence with each look so that their work meets the expectations of critics in the industry: high-end clients, photo editors, etc.

With a notable sense of style and a keen eye, Walter pays special attention to every detail from the lighting, to the background environment, to body posture, to facial expression to create the perfect image. He has a remarkable ability to find the essence in whatever subject he is photographing, is passionate about his work, and is dedicated to exceeding his clients’ expectations.

Walters photographic vision cannot be easily defined in terms of a singular style. McClay Photography is moving into Fine Art which includes natural landscapes, people, etc. The aim is to produce beautiful, inspiring and sometimes ultra serene images that will be large, premium gallery quality prints on metal, acrylic glass, etc.

 

OUR GENRES INCLUDE:

Model Portfolio Development

Commercial Assignments

High School Senior Portraits

Portraits

Boudoir / Glamour

Special Events

Architectural / Real Estate

Travel / Leisure

and soon to include Landscape / Fine Art

 

McClay Photography is not solely restricted by the four walls of a studio. The WORLD is their studio! Their work speaks for itself. They are available for assignments worldwide.
CLIENTS
Chicago Salon Magazine

Chicago, IL.

Mid-West Entourage

Entertainment, LLC

St. Louis, MO

Ford Models

Chicago, IL

Elite Models

Chicago. IL

Stewart Talent

Chicago, IL

BMG Models

Chicago, IL

Jaffa Models International

Chicago, IL

Encore Talent

Chicago, IL

Iris Talent

Chicago, IL

Lily’s Talent

Chicago, IL

Baker and Rowley Talent

Chicago, IL

Toni’s International Models

St. Louis, MO

Incognito Talent

St. Louis, MO

Club Wet

Chicago, IL

MODEL PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT

In our experience, many agencies express their frustration with models/actors choosing to be shot by inexperienced photographers. Models/talent should take pride in themselves and should want the best quality images to represent them. When selecting a photographer, it is important to examine the photographers portfolio and determine if the images appear as if taken from pages of a magazine, a catalog, or an ad campaign. Amateurish, candid, or even good Senior portraits, will not help market you. They can potentially hinder you and your agency from clients interest. Clients want to see professional, commercial looking images.

You should NEVER choose a photographer based on price. This is NOT the area to compromise. Quality photography is an investment in yourself. It’s crucial to have a variety of strong images that show your range. The images should make you appear experienced and professional in order to capture the eye of a client.

Remember, your headshot and comp card have to ‘audition’ before you ever get a chance to, and must continue working for you long after you’ve left the room.

MODEL SHOOTS

Our professional experience in the industry gives us the knowledge of what works, as well as, what agencies and clients are seeking. With all model portfolio shoots, we require a wardrobe consultation in which outfits will be selected for the shoot from the model’s own wardrobe. The selection of the wardrobe is an important part in this planning process so remember, the more you bring, the more we have to select from. We will discuss what category and types of looks would best market you based on criteria such as stats, facial structure, and over-all look. We will not compromise our work. Quality images requires quality wardrobe.

If you are interested in building a strong reputable portfolio, do not hesitate to contact.