THE KING OF STEAM · PRIVATE PHOTOGRAPHIC ART
Your world. Reimagined in steam.
Steampunk Portrait Commissions by Chuck Coleman
Commissions begin at $37,000. Up to ten people. Fifteen finished photographic images. One oversized metal portrait.
Choose a place that means something to you. Bring the people who belong in the picture. We design the wardrobe, shape the characters and create a photographic world around you.
Commission the vision.
Every commission begins with an environment. Its architecture, textures and atmosphere inform the clothing we design and provide for your shoot. Chuck directs the steampunk aesthetic, lighting, composition and photographic process, bringing every person into one coherent visual story.
You choose the setting. We establish the artistic direction. Together, those choices become a collection of fifteen finished images and one commanding work for your wall.
Become the subject of your own extraordinary world.
A private commission brings your people, your chosen environment and our artistic vision into one complete work. We design the wardrobe for the scene, direct the characters and compose the photographs with the finished wall artwork in mind.
The value begins before the camera is raised: in the concept, the clothing, the preparation and the decisions that give the image its character. It continues through fifteen finished photographs and culminates in the image you choose for an oversized metal portrait, created to become a defining presence in your space.
Your setting. Our artistic direction. A personal work of photographic art.
The experience behind the image
Since around 2016, Chuck Coleman has worked with painter David Uhl, creating photographic references for selected paintings. This is practical work at the meeting point of photography and painting: wardrobe, character, pose and light established in front of a camera, then interpreted on canvas.
Vilma’s role is documented in Uhl Studios’ own descriptions of Dead Man Walking and Final Voyage, part of the Bounty Hunter series. The paintings are David Uhl’s; Chuck’s contribution is reference photography, with Vilma as the featured model.
Uhl became Harley-Davidson’s first licensed oil painter in 1998. His career includes the presentation of Chance Encounter to Pope Francis in 2013, a collaboration with Steven Tyler on The Reckoning, and collectors including Jay Leno. Cycle News reported Charles Osgood’s description of him as “The Norman Rockwell of Harley-Davidson artists.” Explore the sources below.
That experience informs how we approach your commission: a photograph conceived with attention to character, narrative and its eventual presence as a physical artwork.
From photographic reference to a Las Vegas display
Our collaboration archive includes paintings featuring Vilma displayed at Ahern Luxury Boutique Hotel in Las Vegas. The hotel also hosts the David Uhl Gallery. The photograph below documents Vilma beside paintings displayed at the hotel’s reception.
Paintings shown: David Uhl. Location photograph supplied from Chuck and Vilma’s archive. These examples document prior creative work; this commission is for photographic artwork by Chuck Coleman.
The Cadillac: David Uhl and Dr. Atomic
David Uhl is a fine artist whose work spans motorcycle, automotive, aviation and Western subjects. He became Harley-Davidson’s first licensed oil painter in 1998. Read David Uhl’s biography at Uhl Studios.
Dr. Atomic is Bill Biler, founder and driving force behind Atomic Motors, a Henderson classic-car and motorcycle dealership built around collecting, restoration and automotive history. Meet Bill “Dr. Atomic” Biler in the City of Henderson’s Redevelop That! podcast and learn about Atomic Motors.
This Cadillac project was commissioned by David Uhl and Atomic Motors. Chuck Coleman and Vilma created the photographic reference shoot at the Atomic Motors facility in Henderson for the David Uhl Gallery at Ahern Luxury Boutique Hotel in Las Vegas. In this interview, David Uhl and Dr. Atomic discuss the Cadillac and the artwork connected to the project. See the David Uhl Gallery at Ahern Hotel.
A portrait with physical presence
The finished work is intended to be lived with. Select one photograph from your commission for a metal portrait approximately six feet by four and a half to five feet, about 72 × 54–60 inches. Final dimensions and orientation follow the selected composition and agreed production specifications.
Actual oversized photographic metal-print examples from our archive. Shown to demonstrate the medium and physical scale; your commissioned image will be created for you.
Your private commission includes
Creative direction: a steampunk aesthetic developed and directed by Chuck Coleman around your chosen environment.
Custom wardrobe: outfits designed and provided for the agreed shoot, for a group of up to ten people.
Photography: a directed portrait production and fifteen finished photographic images.
The signature artwork: one oversized metal portrait made from your selected image.
Commissions begin at $37,000
The starting commission fee is the same whether your group includes two people or ten. Final pricing reflects the agreed production scope, setting and requirements, rather than a per-person rate.
Travel, lodging, room and board, and meals are additional. Location arrangements, wardrobe ownership, hair and makeup, image delivery and usage, production dates, and artwork shipping and installation are confirmed in the written proposal before booking.
Payment and delivery
Reserve your commission: a 50% deposit is due at booking. The remaining 50% is due on the day of arrival for the shoot. For a $37,000 commission, this is $18,500 at booking and $18,500 on arrival.
Finished photographs: your fifteen finished photographic images will be delivered within 30 days after the shoot.
Oversized metal artwork: completion is anticipated approximately 30 to 45 days after the shoot. The artwork ships by freight. Your freight delivery estimate and arrangements will be provided when the artwork is completed; the arrival date depends on freight transit and scheduling.
The photographic archive
Selected steampunk photographs from Chuck Coleman’s archive, identified by the photographer as circa 2013. Real people photographed in physical wardrobe, with deliberate lighting, styling and direction. The people shown are not AI-generated.
Begin your commission
Tell us the environment you have in mind, who you want in the portrait and your preferred timing. We will shape the production around an agreed creative brief.
The $18,500 booking deposit below applies to the $37,000 base commission. The remaining $18,500 is due on the day of arrival for the shoot. Larger agreed commissions require matching 50% payments; please use the payment arrangements in your agreed proposal.
Creative history and sources
Uhl Studios: David Uhl biography · Chance Encounter · The Reckoning with Steven Tyler.
Independent reporting: Pope Francis presentation, CNA / EWTN, 2013 · Cycle News interview and Charles Osgood attribution, 2013 · American Rider on Jay Leno as a collector, 2008.
Collaboration and exhibition context: Uhl Studios names Vilma in Dead Man Walking · Final Voyage · Ahern’s official David Uhl Gallery page.
Chuck’s reference-photography role and approximate 2016 starting date are supplied by Chuck Coleman. The linked sources document Uhl’s career, Vilma’s credited modeling and the gallery. A David Uhl painting or his participation is not included in this photographic commission.