Content creation duo, The Cork Bros (@thecorkbros), have worked with over 500 brands, but they might be taking on their toughest challenge yet. The latest episode of Adorama’s Picture America documents the Bros as they give back to the American city of Atlanta, in the state of Georgia, by offering free portraits along the 35km BeltLine trail. They aim to give away 5,000 free photos by the end of the year, with the mini docuseries joining them just over halfway to meeting that goal.
The beating heart of The Cork Bros is Andres McCorkle and Michelangelo Corkrum, two friends who turned to content creation when their consulting business failed to turn a big enough profit. And now they’re giving back to the community. “We’ve seen grandpas come out here with their grandchildren (...) mothers who weren’t able to get maternity photos,” says Andres. But these aren’t just snaps, the Bros are using top-notch Sony mirrorless gear like the Sony a7R V and Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 G Master lens, not to mention portable studio lighting.
As such, they’re offering commercial-quality portraits to people, some of whom have never been professionally photographed. “One of my favorite parts of giving out these photos is seeing people’s reactions to them”, says Michelangelo, “a lot of times they haven’t seen themselves like that (...) just letting people see themselves in a beautiful light is [chef’s kiss].”
The video also features the latest addition to the Cork Bros family, Harold ‘HD’ Dudley Jr. HD was introduced to the Cork Bros a few years ago via an internship and was subsequently brought on full-time, where he operates as Lead Editor & Assistant Creative Director. Harold might not have ‘cork’ in his surname, but he’s still part of the family. “Even though we work together, they feel like older brothers to me,” he says.
Michelangelo calls Atlanta the “hub of the south (...) you have that mix of southern hospitality, mixed with big city.” Only by watching the full video (above) will you get a flavor of what the Georgian capital and its residents mean to Andres and Michelangelo. Watch on to join the Cork Bros as they shoot a behind-the-scenes video at a music studio, find out why their 5,000 photos project has attracted the attention of local businesses, and how they interact with their subjects to dispel any nerves so their personality shines through when they capture their photo.
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If you enjoyed the video, make sure you check out the other Picture America episodes, including the story of the documentary photographer who is reshaping the city of Baltimore’s image. If you’re interested in portrait photography, check out the best cameras for portraits, and the best photography lighting kits.
