Photo Profiles

For some, the regular old studio shot doesn't say enough. Sitting on a stool in front of a blue-gray spackled background as a senior on picture day just doesn't get your point across. For those seniors this school year who are late to the photo shoot, and the juniors looking forward to sending out next year's graduation announcements, there are many options for obtaining the portrait which tells your story. Here are a couple of verbal portraits of those who shoot the portraits - Bruce Cochener and Rebecca Melton. A Place For Individuality A Topeka native, Bruce Cochener owns Class Act Photography in Wichita and has been shooting professionally since 1991. A certified Professional Photographer of America, Cochener says he is one of a mere 27 in the state of Kansas who hold the prestigious documentation. Cochener has a business background, holding degrees from the University of Kansas and Wichita State University. Starting as an amateur, he was first approached by the lab he used to develop his film. They asked if he'd ever considered going professional. Cochener took the bait and began taking classes offered by instructors around the country - even in Canada. He gained experience and knowledge needed to excel in professional photography by attending a multitude of week-long seminars. Now a father of four, he appreciates his accomplishments and the experiences he has accrued by offering others their portraits. Cochener strives to capture the personality of the individual rather than just the image. "People are not two-dimensional," Cochener says. "There's a lot of depth to them and you want to catch it." He maintains his certification based on his continued work, which remains his biggest accomplishment. Class Act Photography continues to be a place for individuality. Images Alive Step out of the norm. Be uniquely you. Just as the logo for Rebecca Melton Photography reads, the owner fulfills her own part on each shoot, approaching each photographic situation with the goal to capture the moment. A Wichita South High graduate, Melton attended Butler Community College where she studied photography and now has been shooting professionally for six years. "I love to see something come alive in an image, whether it be in people or abstract items," says Melton. Now residing in Goddard, the mother of three is passionate about depicting her subjects for who they really are. Taking inspiration from all forms of media and everyday life, Melton admits to pulling styles from magazines and television in order to put forward something new and different with each scenario or person she is shooting. "Everyone is unique," believes Melton. "It's not about the photographer; it's about who you are today."