Photographing the holiday spirit, at Grand Rapids’ Christkindl Markt
Over the past month or so, I’ve worked with both Experience Grand Rapids and Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. to capture the first-ever Christkindl Markt in Grand Rapids. Located at the Downtown Market, the Christkindl Markt features fun shopping booths, German beer, wine, outdoor curling, authentic European eats and so much more.
I first teamed up with Experience Grand Rapids to capture a sample booth at a local warehouse. The goal was to make the booth look like it was outdoors at nighttime. I worked with a variety of lighting accessories, making sure the models and products were lit. A tight crop made for some engaging photographs, and natural colors highlighted the booth’s products.
Since then, I’ve captured the market for both Experience Grand Rapids as well as Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. Again, we worked with models for this project, highlighting some of the booths at the market and the overall experience. Both photoshoots offered unique challenges, especially because the market was very, very busy when we photographed on the opening weekend.
While the photos have ended up across social media, they’re also prominent on the Christkindl Markt’s website, and even featured on a few billboards around town.