SAWville

The secret is to keep you finger on the button! Even when you are talking, not looking through the lens, be a able to trigger the shutter.

I am a visual storyteller by nature, but I also know from experience that quality communication provides a solid foundation for every production we shoot. We make stunning images and solve problems along the way. Relationships and good business ethics are paramount to me.

In both my tv spots and print ads, I strive to have my images identifiable by the genuine connection I create with my subjects. Whether they be models, actors, celebs, CEOs or ‘real people,’ I always enjoy finding a way to ground and connect.

With our motion broadcast work, I co-direct with my partner Katrine. We work under the name KN+SAW (Katrine Naleid and Stephen Austin Welch) as a directing team specializing in lifestyle spots. We compose footage that is fresh, whimsical and quirky. Specifically, we create and capture inspirational, authentic lifestyle moments. Shooting real emotion is what we are all about. Our trademark footage is filming connected moments and storytelling that has surprise and payoff.

I’ve had the opportunity to shoot at some amazing locations. A few that come to mind are: strapped into a roller coaster shooting kids, hanging from a cliff to capture a hang glider, the crystal clear water of the Caribbean making beer ads, movie lots in LA... but truth be told, I’m fond of shooting in dive bars, too.

I have called many places home including Los Angeles (where I went to film school at USC followed by crewing on features), New York, Boston (where I went to art school and studied photography), Portland, Chicago and St. Louis (where I grew up). When not on the road, San Francisco is where I have hung my hat for the past 20 years.

My career in commercial photography began at an early age (I was awarded my first big campaign by TBWA at the age of 21,) and I’ve never looked back. That being said, my background is actually in motion picture film, fine art photography and graphic design. How fitting, right? With the convergence of medias, I feel right at home. I now get to use all the tricks of each trade on the same shoot! Oh, and in a previous life I played guitar in a midwest rock-n-roll band.

I compose images from a sensibility perspective that speaks to the heart of the campaign. In pre-production we discuss where the client’s brand currently is and where they want to take it. Often the client’s core message is best described as an “x-factor,” meaning that we are talking about a mood, energy, and spirit — it’s that “x-factor” of conveying emotion that I have successfully made a career of revealing and filming.

I particularly enjoy assignments in historic places where I can bring an element of history back to life; however the same principles are true and applied when taking a contemporary location and elevating it by adding to its atmosphere with the use of lighting and camera techniques.

I am also passionate about the post-production side of photography. I am fastidious with my files and pride myself on what I have coined, “great digital hygiene.” Using the best in digital technology, that is most suitable for ‘your project,’ I work with my clients from concept to capture and throughout the post-production process to create topnotch motion and still pictures.

Macro-budget or micro-budget, I treat every job with the same courtesies, expertise, professionalism and know-how. I give my all to make striking and soulful images for my clients.

Cheers, SAW