Rebel Winged Steampunk Goggles - worn by model Morgan Grimes, shot by photographer Bill Munster

Steampunk Photography by Bill Munster

Morgan Grimes Shot by Bill Munster - Vintage Lace & Pearl Goggles Over Eyes - SteampunkGoggles.com
Morgan Grimes Shot by Bill Munster – Vintage Lace & Pearl Goggles Over Eyes – SteampunkGoggles.com

Little did Bill Munster know when he placed an order through SteampunkGoggles.com that it would spark a creative avalanche.

A graduate of the Germain School of Photography in New York City, and former English teacher, Munster had been been capturing images for years before he stumbled upon Steampunk. “Dover Publishers put out a clip-art book of Steampunk, and I loved it. I’d say I’ve been drawn to it for about three years.”

After relocating from New York City to the Catskills region of upstate New York Munster began shooting his own work on a regular basis and found his new home to be far more to his taste. “I seriously shoot at least three times a week. Upstate in the Catskills is laid back, whereas NYC would be too much hustle and bustle.  I like to be mellow when I shoot.”

A fan of working in darker mediums Steampunk’s potential for dramatic and interesting shots appealed to Munster, “It has that Victorian look, which I love.  Anything that reminds me of England and Charles Dickens gets my blood pumping. I think the Sci-Fi element fits in. I see The Industrial Revolution as being a strong motivational push.”

Morgan Grimes Shot by Bill Munster - Bee Steampunk Goggles - 2 of 4
Morgan Grimes Shot by Bill Munster – Bee Steampunk Goggles – 2 of 4

When Munster decided he wanted to shoot a series of Steampunk inspired photos he immediately called in long-time model and collaborator Morgan Grimes. “Morgan and I have worked together for almost four years. A lot of planning goes into each shoot. Choosing Morgan makes my job so much easier. I can send her pictures I’ve seen online and say, ‘Hey, this looks good, let’s do it.’ And we do.  When I told her about Steampunk we clicked on that theme. I knew that she could make any shot WORK.”

With a model, a location, and a theme ready to go he set about finding a pair of goggles to truly capture the essence of Steampunk  The goggles proved to be a turning point for Munster. “It wasn’t till I found SteampunkGoggles that I went nuts for the style. The products are so unique, and well made.  Everyone says that they’ve never seen anything like it!  And they’re affordable.”

With the final piece of the puzzle in place Munster and Grimes set out to bring their Steampunk vision to life, “I have no studio, so I’ve made arrangement with a local motel to use a large room.  I bring my gear and off we go.” It was a familiar routine, except this time the gear included  Rebel Winged Steampunk Goggles,  Vintage Lace & Pearl Goggles, and Victorian Welding Goggles with a bee carving.  Right from the start Munster could tell that this shoot was different, ”Suddenly something clicked, and we were really rolling out some great shots.” by the end Munster had captured hundreds of stunning, dynamic photos of his favorite model in her new goggles.

Overjoyed with the finished product Munster contacted SteampunkGoggles to share some of the final shots. To his excitement he was asked if the shots could be featured on the site. He agreed and before long the photos had reached hundreds of fans.

The experience has made Munster excited to explore other ways to incorporate Steampunk into future projects. Also a published author he hopes to continue his collaboration with Morgan, “I’d love to produce a series of books on shots that I do with a Steampunk motif. I’m also writing a noir novel that’s a ghost story, again with Morgan.  We are doing a promotional video (to look like a film when completed) to post onto Vimeo.com, which I’m very excited about. My big dream is to do posters featuring Morgan.”

Rebel Winged Steampunk Goggles - worn by model Morgan Grimes, shot by photographer Bill Munster - front corset
Rebel Winged Steampunk Goggles – worn by model Morgan Grimes, shot by photographer Bill Munster – front corset

 

See More Shots of Morgan at Bill’s Blog

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