Photoshopped
If there’s one question I get the most when showing my photography, it’s “did you Photoshop that image”? Of course, I now have my spiel that I toss out there about the digital darkroom and how every photographer who shoots digital has a workflow that includes some level of tinkering in a graphics package such as Photoshop.
However, when it comes to shooting portraits, there is typically little shame about ‘enhancements’ shall we say. Well, those days are now over. New on the market is an innovative cream that allows people to become beautiful instantly.
As you can see, this cream has done wonders for the likes of Madonna. And that sound you hear is the collective sigh of thousands of portrait photographers who have carpal tunnel from erasing age spots and wrinkles….
Platon
If you live in the world of portrait photography you undoubtedly know the name Platon. He’s captured some of the most powerful and famous people in the world over the last decade plus – people like Bill Clinton, Bono, Barack Obama and the list goes on. He even set up outside the United Nations and grabbed portraits of the world’s leaders last year. Watch an interesting interview with him via British TV:
I love the part at the end where he describes how he’s shifting his focus to those without power. I very much look forward to how he’ll frame this new direction.
Stretch Yourself
Never stop learning. It’s one principle that I try to live by. One way is to force yourself to stretch creatively by starting a project. Dustin Diaz, a very talented photographer out of San Fran, took on the type of project that was undoubtedly grueling, but incredibly valuable. He called it the 365 Project.
The goal of the project was to set up and shoot a new photo every single day. And by setting up and shooting, I don’t mean simply walking out the door and finding a flower to shoot. He actually took strobes and umbrellas to each shoot. Not only did he take a different shot each day, but he added notes and video about nearly every shot. Why? So others can learn from his experience / mistakes / successes as well.
Check this project out. Make sure to click on the links following each shot that take you to Flickr for the setup and strobist info.
Give Your Gift
I firmly believe that each of us are talented in our own special ways. It may be the gift of an artists touch or the ability to carry a tune or an eye for composition. I also believe that each of us should share our talents in ways that help out others. Recently, I had the privilege of sharing my photographic talents with a special group of young ladies in the Annapolis area.
In the spirit of the project created last year called Help Portrait, myself and two good (and talented) friends Guy Stephens and Matt Rath connected with a group called the Eastport Girls Club. First, a bit about the Girls Club – they’re a grassroots mentoring program for girls in grades 5-12 who are living in public housing communities in Annapolis, MD. Their mission statement reads:
To provide young women facing challenging issues within our community with enriching experiences and mentoring relationships that promote self-awareness, the attainment of individual goals, respect towards self and others, and a willingness to explore and serve the world around them.
Our goal with the project was simple – to shoot portraits of each of the girls, get them printed, framed and have them ready to present to their Mothers / Grandmothers / Guardians for Mother’s Day. More than that, it was to make each girl feel as special and beautiful as they really are for a day. This video that Matt produced from the shoot explains the effort much better than I can in words:
So, in February we scheduled the shoot and showed up with a heaping pile of lighting equipment, a bit of a simple plan and a lot of hope for a fun time. I must admit that I went into the shoot with some trepidation, not knowing how a group of 5th to 9th graders would react to getting their photos taken by a couple of strangers. Any fears I had were quickly erased by the smiles and laughs of each of these special young ladies. Before long, we had them mugging for the camera like a bunch of seasoned models.
In early April, I had the young ladies pick the photos they liked and had them printed and framed. Shortly after at a Mother’s Day dinner, each girl presented their framed photo to their loved one.
Smiles equal success in my book. Find your special talent and share it with others. It benefits everyone involved.
