I get a lot of questions about how I get my portraits to look the way that they do. I am going to try my best to take you along the ride of what goes on inside my brain over the course of a photo shoot.
Ironically, I learned the basics of photography years ago in a darkroom at ISU. At this time, we photographers were still using film for the most part. My best friend Lindsay and I took a photography class as a “blow-off,” but it was this class that took up the most of our time all semester. (On my website, if you go to the exhibition room, you will see Phoebe Johnson’s work. Later in life, she became a good friend. My photography professor turned out to be her brother, Joel.)
Contrary to popular belief, there isn’t a red light in a darkroom, at least there wasn’t in ours. Lindsay and I were in a pitch black room, feeling around for our mixing chemicals and scissors to cut our film. Next, we burned and dodged our film in a real lightroom (not the kind that you find in editing software these days) and sent it down a river of chemicals, then dried our photo paper. Sometimes, it would take 8 attempts to get the burning and dodging correct, and we would only find out if it was right after the paper went through the chemical processing. Like my present career, it all seemed very glamorous on the outside, but in reality, it was really hard work, and time-consuming, with an extremely high learning curve.
However, I am so thankful to have had that film photography experience. All of the things that I learned in this class are what I operate off of every single session. These basic things have become second nature to me now, but not without years of experience. I very much believe learning on a digital camera is just not the same as learning on basic manual cameras with film.
At first, when amateur photographers start their journey, they often focus on very basic things on their digital cameras so that there is a photo to work with in the end. At this juncture there isn’t much creativity, and the focus is just on getting it right. They are thinking about settings for the camera, and knowing about relationships between the camera, aperture, shutter speed, and lens of choice. Knowing white balances, how they relate to the camera, computer settings in terms of editing software(s) and print lab is important. Most amateurs who have just started are in this place for about 2 years.
Photographers who have mastered these basics move on to composition. During a photo session, how the subjects are dressed, skin tones, relationships, ages, and attention spans all have to be taken into consideration. Proper lighting, posing related to light and relationships, and number of poses based on what mom wants versus what the children will actually do has to be taken into consideration. All of this occurs under the most important things: talent and style. This is where it ends for some and begins for others.
When I am shooting in natural light, I have to watch my light meter for the way that the sun comes through my windows. If a cloud covers my light source (the sun), my light changes very quickly while little kids are moving around fast. Also taken into consideration are what I call “blinkers,” as a good blinker can ruin about half of my photos! All the while, I’m moving furniture and keeping track of time, as I know that my little ones don’t last very long. I’m thinking of bribes, usually candy, to make them happy. I also have to make sure that mom isn’t getting too stressed out at her kids running and jumping around. Most people leave thinking, “what just happened?” But then are overwhelmed at the number of great photos that we got. Ahhh, the art of imperfection.
Using artifical light is not any easier. It is a very delicate craft. I know what I want my work to look like. I like the use of shading, and I know how to use it. However, it is drastically different from using natural light. I don’t see very many photographers using it around this area, as it is very hard to learn and perfect. When you see most of the ads in magazines, this is what is being used. It is quite elusive, and probably what I get the most requests for.
Shooting the portraits is the easy part. Then it is on to retouching the session with editing software. All I will say about retouching is that I use 4 programs, and it is the most time-consuming process from start to finish. I have my own “recipe” for editing, and we do a lot to our photos. The most frequent question I get is how I get my eyes to look the way that they do. The best answer I have is that it is all in the lighting!
After all of my hard work, I cross my fingers that mom is overjoyed with the outcome.
On the outside it seems very glamorous, but in reality it is an extremely high learning curve and very hard work every single day. It is nothing like what it looks like from the outside. Flexibility at being your own boss is exchanged for answering to clients, labs, deadlines, and your own reputation in the community, which is everything.
Thankfully, I have been very blessed. I know how lucky I am to have a flourishing business full of clients who appreciate what I do. So…maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it is all it’s cracked up to be.
Until next time,
Ona
Ona
Congrats to Lindsay and Greg Lester on their new baby, Finley Jane.
This is one of my favorite photos of their second baby, Gatlin.
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