This portrait session came up fast. Got a DM the night before via Twitter with Don at the Cube asking me “HOW” to take a good photo of John Koensgen, who is working on a play due out in October.
I asked him what he was shooting with, told me an old Olympus point & shoot. I paused, and I then told him I’d meet them the next day just before noon to do a proper shoot.
The play sounds interesting… Vampires are in it y’know? They’re so hot right now.
Saw this on the ground. Sitting in front of a bunch of big-glass buildings. See, reflectors aren’t just round things you hold in your hand. They’re any surface. If you have some bright sun hitting some red brick you’re going to get some organe glow off of it. A big white wall will bounce sunlight and make the softest most diffused light you’ve ever seen. Find a person and make a portrait if you come accross this.
In this case, the windows were reflecting light back, into the shade creating some cool patterns and really highlighting the textures, but more evenly than direct sunlight would have done [read: harsher shadows].
Had my handy-dandy G11 with me so I took a few shots and this is the one I liked best!
I went out once this weekend – that means I’m on daddy lockdown for the week. Freedom comes at a great cost.
I spent some time this week making arrangements and booking a lot of last minute portrait sessions and weddings, all of them based on referrals. It’s a great feeling to receive praise from your peers – praise coming in the form of recommendations: I can’t think of a better way to compliment a photographer than to recommend their professional services.
Some will pan out, other’s won’t. Photography, like any art, is subjective, and sometimes my style won’t jive with a potential clients vision. That’s okay! It’s okay that you want one thing and I will honestly tell you if I can’t do it. I think it’s borderline criminal to be anything but honest with those who trust you with their money and time… actually, let’s take that deeper…
Joe McNally recently blogged that – and I’m paraphrasing here – a portrait is an exchange; the subject gives the photographer trust and vulnerability, and the photographer gives back assurance, that they will respect, and take care of what was just given to them.
Honesty is key, it’s how I’ve always, personally, done business, and it’s how I live my life. I might SAY things that at times are a bit too “truthy” (or sarcastic I suppose), but taken to task you’ll get the straight goods out of me, for better or worse.
if interested, you can view this image larger on flickr.
These are the best two portraits I could get out of my kids after a solid day of trying.
I wanted to try a few different lighting setups and, for lack of subjects, I try to stick my kids in front of the lens.
Problem there is that the eldest is more interested in the reflector directly in front of him (playing peek-a-boo) and the infant, well… he’s teething.
I didn’t help my own cause by having everything at adult height – which means I’m expecting them both to perch atop a stool – the brilliant ideas I have at midnight eh?
Learn, refine, apply again – it’s how I grow as a photographer.