Environmental Portraiture
Pushing my comfort zone
Pushing my comfort zone
A year ago, at the begin of June 2010, I was involved with my first full scale photo shoot, that lasted 5 days, 10 hours a day, with a minimum of 8 setups eaA year ago, at the begin of June 2010, I was involved with my first full scale photo shoot, that lasted 5 days, 10 hours a day, with a minimum of 8 setups each day. It was exhausting, yet oddly exhilarating, and completely inspirational.
Prior to that week, photography had been something that I loved to look at, and occasionally take photos, but if I did take photos, it was of textures, or flowers, or clouds, but nothing intimate or personal. Even at birthday parties for my own children, I would rather capture the details on the party, then work to capture their emotions and reactions. However, after this week long photo shoot, my outlook on photography completely changed. There was nothing I would rather photograph more, than people.
The week after the photo shoot, I went a bought a new camera and a couple lens. I began pouring over websites, and buying books about exposure, composition and techniques. I quickly learned that I had a certain knack for photography, and things like composition came to me naturally.
It's been a year now, and I am continuing to shoot almost every day. I have pushed my knowledge of photography past the basics, into working with studio set ups and bending light to my will. The process is still as exhilarating as it was a year ago, but instead of fighting against my camera, I have found a way to use it to capture my ideas, and use them within my design work.
