People
Catching You Unprepared
I love the wait and watch for that moment of natural beauty that comes from within. When taking photos of individuals I believe in taking my time, waiting long enough for my camera to become invisible. I don't like people posing or that false smile, I love to find the real you.
The two photos I have used here show how I like to use landscapes and the natural surroundings to turn the photo into more than just a shot, but to add a story and a memory of a day. This results in a photo that also becomes a subject of conversation, rather than just a portrait the same as the last. A personal story hung on the wall is more valuable than any other portrait or decorative art.
To take this shot the lighting came from a single candle
Taking Peoples Photos
When asked to take photos of people I tend to aim for the natural look. I try to use natural light and refrain from using a flash or anything that alerts you that I am active with my camera. The photos I have used on this page have all been taken unstaged. Below I have included two photos from a party I attended to demonstrate where I was asked to take a true reflection of the group, rather than staged studio portraits. Sitting at the end of the table I took individual photos of all those at the party to highlight the natural happiness of the evening. My flash was purposely not used to allow me to show the true atmosphere of the evening without putting people on edge of having their photo being taken. I didn't want to interrupt the flow of open conversation.
I enjoy attending outside shows and carnivals etc. I am there, not to take the standard photos of groups, but to pick out the true natural individuals that are participating. For me, the focus is on the human personality.
I found this gentleman used his hands in all conversations; he was very passionate and energetic in his delivery. To catch him and the host in the same shot I felt demonstrated a relaxed atmosphere of a very nice evening with a photo that would always generate a conversation.
The True Person Within
Thank you for visiting my site. I hope the above gives you an understanding of my work, though only a cross-section. Please do pop back from time to time to see what's new, or visit my projects page to follow me on what I am up to each month.