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July 2019
If there’s any tip I could give to anyone that wants to really get into the meat and potatoes of photography (and I’m talking metaphorically of the heaviest meat and potato stew you can think of), it’s to really get out there and shoot as much as possible. Seriously, it’s the most generic and cliché advice that any photographer has ever given, but I kid you not, I would be doing you all a disservice if I did not swear behind this mantra. Get out there, and shoot whatever you think looks interesting, and even if an idea you had never sees the light of day, for whatever reason, at least you know what you can improve upon.
When I had reached out to Ivana by this point in time, I had begun to already garner plenty of shooting experience with various lighting experience in both indoor and outdoor projects. As someone who couldn’t afford fancy lighting equipment or have a friend on call to help assist during the shoot, I can attest that learning to take portraits with just natural lighting has been one of my biggest skills as a photographer. While the big ‘ol ball of burning gas in the sky may be a photographer’s first, and sometimes only, friend that will provide light for free, it also can be quite fickle. Conditions change not only by weather, but by the minute as well. So while taking photos during Golden Hour may produce reliable results, one has to really hustle and think ahead during an outdoor shoot as a lighting configuration may look cool in one area, it will definitely not stay that way for long.
Working with Ivana was great, as I typically direct people with a general feeling that I want the set of images to convey, and she instantly understood the concept I was going for. We went for plenty of gentle, dreamlike expressions with a lot of the lighting and post-production process working that nostalgic, summertime feel into the photos. What I found that really works with me on set is that, while it is important to have an idea of what one should want the shoot to look like, it’s always best to just trust the person in front of the lens and give basic, yet specific, instructions and allow their instincts in translating that direction on camera.
For example, I would specify what the framing of the shot is going to look like (i.e. a medium, close-up, or wide shot. Thanks, film school) to give them an idea of how dramatic their expressions need to be, as well as a gesture or an emotion to convey (“pretend like you’re holding the flower like you’d hold the face of someone you care about” or “imagine that you saw a friend you haven’t seen in a long time”). As such, with these directions, the model has a specific idea of what the camera is going to capture, and the tone or theme of the image, but also allows them to have creative freedom in translating those instructions however they want.
With the sun gradually shifting and getting ready to set, Ivana and I made sure to make effective use of the space and I had to make sure I thought ahead of time of where I wanted to shoot and utilize where the light was going to move next. I really enjoyed the vibrancy of the setting, as the flowers complimented her outfit which made editing pretty straightforward. Beforehand, I had done some research in how other photographers approach outdoor shoots with just natural lighting, and taking those ideas into this session was one of those moments that I had been initially weary as I wasn’t sure if I would be able to pull it off. Yet, as the overplayed advice I had heard countless of times would prove, just trying some of these ideas brought some of the best results.