Nathaniel Kunkel

This portrait of Nathaniel Kunkel was shot for a JBL Pro Audio ad that is running right now in publications like Mix Magazine. Originally we were to shoot this in the mexican restaurant across the parking lot from Nate’s studio, but after some discussion, he mentioned this closet where he keeps all of his travel cases. As soon as we saw it, we knew it was perfect. Nathaniel is a recording engineer. His company Studio Without Walls has recorded for a wide range of musicians from Jackson Brown to The Crystal Method. His father is famed session drummer Russ Kunkel. Notice the little homage?

subject: Nathaniel Kunkel
camera/lens: Canon 5D, 28-105 @28mm
lighting: Four lights. The main light is high and to the left with a 20″ dish covered with diffusion. On the right there is a grid spot aimed back at Nate’s face for a little rim. I wanted to get it further back so it would be more oblique, but it would be in the frame. There’s a head with a grid aimed high at the back wall. The last light is a bare strobe head with no reflector lying on the ground below his hand to set off the black coat with all the black cases.