When you're always on the business end of a camera, it's important to remember that others don't always feel comfortable being photographed.
(Just had a thought: Maybe that's why I like being on the business end of the camera.)
When a portrait client comes into the studio, I have two goals:
- Help them feel comfortable.
- Make a great picture.
The key to the second is the first: if my client doesn't feel comfortable, the likelihood of getting a good photograph drops sharply. Conversely, if they feel comfortable with me and the environment, we can probably make a great picture together. I wrote about this in my "behind the session" blog with John McDonnell a couple years ago: a good portrait results from a collaboration between the subject and the photographer.
Andrea Flairty has been in business here in central Illinois for 25 years. She runs Storage Options & Solutions where she rescues people from their clutter. She says that not many people know her name but they do know her as "The Closet Lady."
Andrea contacted me via email to ask about getting a portrait done. She's sponsoring an upcoming women's business event and needed a headshot for the promoter. After Googling photographers in the area, she reached out to me.
She came down to the studio in Lincoln the other week and we spent about an hour-and-a-half chatting and making pictures. In the behind-the-scenes video, you'll see from the time-lapse that we spent a lot of time talking before we actually started making pictures. And before we walked into the camera room, we talked for 20 minutes about Andrea's business, her background, and what she wanted from the photos we were going to make. Again, I'm always looking for ways to connect so we can make good pictures.
As you'll see at the end of the video, Andrea had some kind words to share about her experience. She was a delight to photograph and I'm hoping to do some more work with her to promote S.O.S.
Andrea Flairty, SOS Rescue, Bloomington, IL :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, IL
Andrea Flairty, The Closet Lady - sosrescue.com :: Michael Gowin Photography, Lincoln, IL
Quick note on gear: I pulled out the Olympus OM-D E-M5 with the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lens for this session. My Pan-L-Lites were set up to provide an soft, even, flattering quality of light. The GoPro Hero 3 Black captured the BTS footage, and the Panasonic GH3 was used with a Rode Video Mic Pro to get the "interview" footage.
Many thanks to Andrea for letting me make her pictures. If your home and life need some de-cluttering, be sure to visit her site.