Russell Environmental Portrait

When I first started with photography, people were a challenge that I was reluctant to tackle. I felt like a duck out of water, not knowing how to pose or position people. So I avoided shooting portraits, especially family portraits. But over time I found the issue wasn’t me shooting portraits or people, it was shooting people that necessarily didn’t want to be photographed in the first place.

Only after shooting a lot of models and actors for their portfolios and head shots, did I find I have a passion and love for shooting people. They key that eluded me for so long became plain as day, and quite simple. They all wanted to be photographed, were interested in the creative ideas, techniques, or scenarios that became part of the session, embraced the cameras presence rather than scoff at it.

Shooting people is what I prefer, and I get an enormous pleasure from it. Models, actors, families, business executives, celebrities, or just everyday people. If they are engaged in the session, and are there in hopes of creating a nice photograph of themselves, its just plain fun. The ideas flow, creativity happens, and the results work.

The above photograph was taken along the harbor in downtown Boston. We were there to shoot some editorial images, but I decided to do some head shots and portraits to warm up to the session. Russell was a model with a great attitude. “I’m here for the shot, just let me know what you want me to do.” Perfect. I saw a great opportunity for a environmental portrait, and decided to go for it.

I had Russell sit on one of the granite benches right on the wharf, and had my assistant position a 580EX strobe in a small softbox on the left. I had him dial it in till I got just the right balance of light from the strobe mixing with the available lighting. I underexposed the available light by about 1/3rd, and overexposed the strobe by about 1/3rd. The balance worked perfectly in my opinion. The sky was perfect, overcast with some stormy clouds to add some interest, while also providing beautiful soft fill light from every direction. Since he had just commented that he would like to earn enough to afford a ncie boat and condo on the ocean, what better background to use.

~ by sfaust on June 20, 2008.