Portraits
Portraits
Welcome back to the blog. It’s been nearly 2 years since I made a post, but here we are! Im sure you’ve been patiently and anxiously waiting. As the year comes to an end in about 48 hours this is one of two posts I am making.
Just before Christmas I enjoyed catching up with my friend Mark. Many years ago when we first met I photographed him for his campaign. Then 18, he was running for local office. He wanted to be a part of a positive change in the community. Fast forward to the present, by passing all the office hjinks, the plenteous pizzas we had from Dominos, and the mockery of local politics, we are both in different places in life and career.
Mark has taken up photography using vintage cameras and various films as his medium of exploring the world around him. He has a keen eye for composition and enjoys making photos simply for the fun of it. The portrait of Mark I made below was shot using a Canon slr, a hand held light meter, and Portra 400.
Mark with his Mamiya. Soft focus from 1/15th exposure.
Throughout the Pandemic I didn’t have much time to create work using film. In January 2020 I purchased a very beautiful Pentax 67 that was, by all visible appearances and functionality, brand new. I had plans for that camera as the decade changed. Whatever plans I was making would soon be take away from me. Since purchasing it, it has been sitting on my shelf next to my Hasselblad patiently waiting to come out and play. Our time together was spent producing these head shots for his LinkedIn page, enjoying some food, and catching up on life and business all while making photos.
COVID-19: Social Distancing
George wearing his mask and standing at the back door, looking out into the yard.
In the span of 5 mins I learned more about George than I expected to. At 78 years old he’s seen his share of global issues but this pandemic seems to have unnerved him the most. As a sports fan he’s disappointed that he can’t watch his favorite teams on tv.
“You know it’s bad when you can’t catch a ball game” he said as he looked towards the flat screen.
When I arrived he was on a cellphone discussing financial matters with a bank. After he ended the call he shared with me how much of a pain it has been to learn to use a new phone. “Im an old school kind of guy,” he said as he continue to explain it took 4 days for him to figure it out with tech support. It is evident George is deeply religious. I respect his passion. A large crucifix, visible over his exhausted Notre Dame hoodie, is draped close to his heart. In some way part of me believes he had aspirations to play for such a legendary team. He covets football the same as he does his religion.
George was saddened by the news of the Holyoke Soldiers Home. As I was leaving he mentioned how awful it was. I could sense a level of pain behind that statement. I asked him if he served his country and he shared with me his reasons, both medically and familia as to why he couldn’t enlist, even after he tried in 1964.
George posed for two photographs. His mask hides his identity, but he revealed himself to me. We bridged our anonymity through the portraits I made of him. George was happy to share with me and only asked me a few questions that didn’t really reveal much of who I am. What George knows of me is that I am a photographer and he didn’t seem to eager or interested to know more. He was content revealing himself to me and sharing his work.
“I am a religious man, but I am not a saint.”
People are natural story tellers. When you ask the right questions, they will reveal more of themselves than any single portrait can. George was very happy to share with me his work. Rummaging through a box he produced several albums of his music. He offered me a copy of his albums, but understood when I declined to accept the invitation. If I met George under any other time, outside of this pandemic, he’d have greeted me and parted ways with a handshake.
“I’d give you a handshake, but we can’t. Be good kid, stay safe.”
“Thanks George. Stay safe.” Repeating to myself, “stay safe” the new adaptation for parting ways.
I wouldn’t have made a portrait of George if we weren't living in a pandemic. He wouldn’t be wearing a mask and I surely wouldn’t have be shielding my identity in a similar fashion. The face masks, the respirators, the gloves, all the safety gear we are being coerced to wear is forcing us to restructure how we interact with the people we know or people we are meeting for the first time.
Portraits: Location Test
Early in the summer I discovered an ultra cool location while on a bike ride. Meandering through the area I knew that at some point in the summer I would need to come back and shoot some portraits or fashion in this spot. While talking to one of my clients and discussing the spot, she eagerly expressed some interest in a shoot at the location. Over the last few years I have photographed Erin for her business, giving her head shots for marketing purposes. This shoot was vastly different being that it was not for her business and it was more casual with a flare of fashion. I suggested a white dress, giving the environment, I thought white would be most idea.. The shoot would occur later in the afternoon leading up to that beautiful golden hour light. This was one of the very first shoots with my Canon 5dS. Love this camera. At the same time I was shooting with such a beast of a DSLR, I had my Nikon F4 loaded with some 400 speed film. I wanted to play with the film while using the DSLR to capture some high resolution images. The results are beautiful, filled with light, texture, and a play on the environment.
In the studio: Portraits
Over the years I have worked with Girls Inc of Holyoke to photograph key events or moments that are relevant to programs they have. I have photographed the State Senator as well as the Governor on their behalf as well as the many girls that are a part of their programs. The first time I became aware of Girls Inc being located across the street from my studio is when I saw a billboard advertising them in town. I passed by the billboard a dozen or so times prior to learning where they were located. I wanted to shoot a billboard, specifically I wanted to connect with Girls Inc and be able to shoot for them.
A year after learning where they were, I was asked to assist and make some photos on behalf of a friend who was doing some video work for them. I obliged his request and was introduced to the incredible work that Girls Inc does for the community, specifically the work they do for the girls that are part of the programs. It was a true eye opener and since then I have closely watched through the lens as some girls have transformed, grew, and become young leaders in their communities.
In 2012 I was asked to photograph some of the girls in studio. From the date of that shoot until recently they were able to utilize the photographs. Including the photo below, which shows the photos being used in newsletters, greeting cards, and thank you cards, among other printable materials.
This fall I was asked to photograph some of the newer faces of Girls Inc. They were ready for a new set of photographs and I was eager to have them in the studio again. Each shoot like this is required to be shot on a white background. Each photograph is to be delivered with a clipping mask, rendering the portrait available with a transparent layer. Girls Inc has a visual aid, kind of like a mood board, of how they want the photos, but there is always room for improv and trying some fun and new things.
I set the studio up with lights. I created a diffused bank and put a 7' parabolic behind the diffuser. I wanted a wide spread of light, but I did not want the harshness of the silver reflection from the parabolic. Basically I was mimicking a softlighter. I chose to use the parabolic because I wanted the light to be more focused towards the spot where each girl would stand. I used two other lights directed with umbrellas to the rear of the background. I pushed the power pretty high to get a nice white out. I wanted the main light to be wide enough for groups as well as individuals. The primary focus of the shoot was individuals but to also incorporate small groups of 2-4. Below is a photoshopped diagram of the set. It is a loose digital design of how I set the lights. The x indicates the spot in which each girl or group stood.
The following images are behind the scenes captured by Sarah at Girls Inc. Many thanks to her.
The following photographs are the result of the shoot.
Commercial Photography: Fashion & Studio
Whoa, time flies! I just looked at the last post I made, November 28th, seems like 2 days ago, but was a few weeks back. The lack of blog posting has been due to a huge volume of work I had after our return from Europe. Since mid-September I have been having a blast shooting, editing, acquiring new clients, and working on a super awesome promo that should be going out in the next few days.
As you can see by the date of this post, it is a Sunday, a handful of days away from Christmas, and I am in the studio writing the first blog post from here in what seems like years. I was in for a good portion of the day working on some light renovations. My studio has always been a revolving set. I have shot portraits, head shots, groups, families, still life, teen, youth, children, babies, and fashion. From 2009 till about 2014 I had been that studio that did a bit of everything, weddings, head shots, families, and commercial work. While running a business that was all over the place I was trying to focus on my portrait/fashion commercial work all the while producing bodies of work for exhibition. 2009-2012 was spent co-managing the studio with my former business partner. From late 2012 till now I have been on my own. There were some highly successful days, long days, fun days, productive days! As I have branched out on my own I realized what I love most is the commercial work. Fashion, portraits, interior and exterior, and travel photography are my focuses. I have reduced the interest in exhibiting my work for the time being as I begin to focus on taking a portion of what I have shot over the last several years and license it for stock usage.
Within the last month I licensed 22 images to a national chain restaurant, The 99. The photographs will be printed and put on display by the creative buyer. I am excited to see the work when it is finally hung. I have begun working with some stock agencies and have a portion of work that is going to be marketed stock usage. During the last few hours I spent resetting, cleaning, and doing light renovations in the studio I found a few bodies of work that were exhibited. It brought back the memories of the last few years. The collections represent ideas that I went out and produced, exhibited, and sold work from. As I look forward to the new year and the new promo that is about to go out, I am reinvigorated and ready to advance my career to the places it has been leading to.
Once the promos have shipped I am going to be doing a post about them. I have spent the last 4-6 weeks working on a print promo, researching some creative ideas and coming up with something that is going to make some creative directors, art directors, etc pretty happy. The cover of the promo has a photo from the following shoot that I did with Alyssa, a model that I really enjoy working with. Alyssa is a actor, dancer, and model. When I work with Alyssa I know what I am going to get and she has something unique that I am pleased to put into my portfolio.
For this shoot we did a bit of dance and fashion. We did 4 looks with minor stylized changes. I asked for this shoot as a location test. There was an opportunity to shoot in a space I have always wanted to shoot in and I requested Alyssa to join me in the space.
I am so anxious to post the promo, but again, not till they are out in the mail! I will also be posting some shots of the studio once everything is hanging, in place, and all the renovations are complete. One of my largest clients has requested the use of the studio moving forward for portrait work, so I am anxious to get some new backdrops in place as well as expand some of the ideas I have had for the last two years.
I hope your Sunday was as productive as mine was!
Composite Photograph: Portrait of an Artist
Last night I took a chance and produced something I have never made before. I had a guest in the studio to discuss an installation that she is going to be producing. A spontaneous idea led to an impromptu shoot and a small road trip to make an image. I stepped out of my comfort zone and explored the idea of creating a composite, something I have NEVER done in my work as a photographer. I have often been captivated by the work of photographers who do produce such compelling { compositry } work. Compositry, being a word I just made up, meaning a collection of photographs or images, composed and compiled together to render an entirely new composition, i.e. photograph. Also defined as the act of producing an image or photograph that is composed of many images to become one a single image. It was fun to step out side of the comfort level I have been so accustomed to. Something I rarely do. But recently I was told, step out of your comfort zone, do something new, and get familiar with working in things you typically don't and you will become more successul and rounded. We worked together to construct the main composite. Stephanie offered up some great suggestions that resulted in the final piece. I polished up the piece after she left the studio, and VIOLA! Something new!
When I sit back in my chair and view the piece, knowing the stack she is leaning on is a collection of pages from 5 books, I feel that with the black and white, the piece has a narrative, a poetic juxtaposition that creates a story. It speaks to me as a visual narration, kind of like you're looking at an element from "Alice in Wonderland" story. I can't say that I will produce more of these, as last night we had a lot of factors that just fit. The right ideas, set up, and ability to make the images needed for the composite.
To see Stephanie's work, click on this link, right here, just click this set of letters/words.