Underground photography meet-up gives KC’s ‘modeling-curious’ a low-stakes space to shine

Model Dominque at the February Moulin Rouge meetup. // Photo by Rodger McReynolds

If anyone has walked past the June Club on Broadway Blvd. in the morning they have seen a lonely, closed nightclub waiting till sundown to open their doors. However on one Saturday morning in February the party was getting started early with nearly 15 models pulling up fishnets and donning feather boas to prepare for a Moulin Rouge photoshoot.

To be completely honest, I walked straight past the dark club door and had to circle back in my search for the photoshoot. However, once I slowly opened the door, and was immediately blinded by a camera flash I knew I had come to the right place.

Model Latoya surrounded by light. // Photo by Staley Wessel

Eventually the dark, red-accented interior came into focus and I saw four photographers setting up props and rearranging the room. Two more photographers were doing the same in the disco-balled back room of the club.

I knew going in that I was going to infiltrate the meetup of the largest photography & model group in Kansas City, but I wasn’t expecting this.

Joe Earls, the creator of these meetups and Madd Hatter Photography, and Clay Swatzell, a meetup board member, met me by the front door to show me around. They walked me through the room introducing me to different photographers and models and the feeling of community amongst everyone was palpable.

People joked with Earls and Swatzell as we walked by or asked them about who was coming today, because some photographers and models had been brainstorming Moulin Rouge photoshoot ideas for days before this meeting.

This community feeling was exactly the reason Earls created this meetup in June 2022. Before moving to Kansas City he was living in Miami. Photography is not his full-time profession, but he has always taken photos, especially in street photography and cosplay photoshoots.

However, the cost to schedule and hire people to have a photoshoot was too high for people that weren’t doing it professionally. He and his friend decided to float the idea to other models and photographers to host a free monthly meetup for people in the community to network and build their portfolio. 

“Face-to-face stuff is really a dying art, but experience is the only way we could get better,” Earls says. 

When he moved to Kansas City a couple of years ago he found that the high price of organizing a photo shoot was less of a problem, but the people were much more shy than they were in Miami. He found it more difficult to find and connect with people that wanted to be photographed.

Moulin Rouge group shot. // Photo by Studio34photography

Earls had met Swatzell when he first moved to KC through the largest model/photographer Facebook group in Kansas City that Swatzell had taken ownership over about five years prior. Then, in June 2022 he floated the idea to Swatzell to create a free meetup like the one he had started in Miami.

The first meetup attracted about 10 people, but word spread and attracted more and more creatives. Their largest event to date was October 2022, when the Tim Burton theme brought more than 70 people. 

To make sure the group continues to meet people’s needs and grow, Earls asked some experienced models and photographers he knew to join a leadership team. The small leadership team of five chooses the theme each month, and Earls is in charge of seeking a location that reflects the theme

“It’s always evolving, and I didn’t want to be the only one making decisions,” Earls says. 

These meetups are also intended to be a place for people to feel creatively and physically safe. If a complaint ever comes to leadership they will take steps to remove a “creep” from the group. However, every model and photographer I talked to during this meetup felt extremely comfortable in the space and sang their praises for the opportunity to gain experience this way. There was even a photographer from Minneapolis that told me he tries to attend as often as he can because he can’t find a group like this in his own city

You don’t have to be an experienced photographer or model to participate in these monthly events, even though the hustle and bustle in the room will be intimidating when you first walk in.

In my experience, you could walk up to anyone who is not busy shooting, ask for help, and they will not only point you in the right direction but will give you the clothes off their back, literally.

Model Gia poses at the bar. // Photo by Madd Hatter Photography

Swatzell shared a story about a woman that came to a meetup wanting to try modeling and didn’t bring any costumes or props. She had a few practice shots and voiced regrets that she hadn’t come prepared for the theme. The other models and some photographers that had brought props had her completely outfitted within 10 minutes.

Stephanie Phillips, one of the models I met, also recalled that story when she was describing to me why she has enjoyed coming to these meetups. 

“Most of what I’m wearing right now I borrowed. Like these,” Phillips says, pointing to the fishnet stockings and black heels she wore. “These are not mine.”

Phillips has done cosplay for years, but didn’t begin modeling in photoshoots until attending her first meetup in October 2022. The positive community and the support that she receives from everyone in the room each month is what keeps her coming back.

“I love everyone being who they are,” Phillips says. “You are pushed out of your comfort zone, but never so far that it’s not fun.”

Not only could I witness this from the beautiful photos being taken around me, but I was even coaxed into taking a few pictures, and I was definitely gently pushed out of my comfort zone. Phillips told me that modeling with this group increased her confidence, but I had no idea how much it takes just to sit in front of a professional photographer. 

However, the support I received from the other models posing easily in front of the cameras was a huge help. If I could muster the courage, literally anyone who is interested should give it a try whether that is in front or behind the camera.

I recommend bringing your own equipment if you want to take photos at the event, but I was told that some photographers will lend them to newcomers, if needed.

If you’re nervous, you can also bring friends or partners for group and couple shots. This is also a great way to meet photographers and models that you could contact for future shoots on location or for a specific project. 

Anyone interested can reach out to Clay Swatzell or Joe Earls on Facebook to be added to the community group. The next meetup will be April 1 at the Philips Hotel, the perfect place for a roaring 20s/film noir themed photoshoot. 

If there is a little voice in your head that is itching to try photography or modeling, I don’t know if there could be a more supportive and low-stakes situation than these meetups.