How I Made This Photo

Location, location, location is everything, be it real estate or portrait photography. This fact rings most true for me when I am having difficulty finding a good location to pose a subject, as was the situation on this shoot. It seemed that every area we checked out was a dead end. We scoured the whole building and found nothing... until we walked back to the main lobby, an area I rarely use as a location. And there it was; a support post and a sculptured map.

It was easy to imagine posing the subject between the post and the map. I loved the geometrical contrast of the cylindrical and rectangular shapes. Further, the subject fit perfectly between these two objects. Lastly, concentrating on this specific area meant not having any more of the busy lobby visible.

Proper lighting would be critical to the photo's success. I wanted the illumination to be direct and strong on the subject, and to go gradually from light to dark on the post. This was done using only one strobe. For the map, I wanted a somewhat more harsh and darker spotlight look. This too was done with a single strobe. Reflections in the glasses were removed using Photoshop.

Figuring out hand and head positioning was a bit tougher. We experimented with all sorts of poses. Some looked great, some looked bizarre. The pose in the above shot, I think, works well for her.

Camera accessories abound. Here are a few I keep in my photo bag that you too may want to consider. The first is a clamp with a bolt that screws into the bottom of a camera. You then secure the clamp to a table or the like. What you wind up with is a very stable camera support. The second item is one of those very small cans of compressed air. The blowers sold in camera shops are good too, but more power often is needed to dislodge debris from the lens or the camera itself. The final thing is the camera's instructional manual. Digital and film cameras have an amazingly complex assortment of dials and settings. Even for the professional shooter, operational info is great to have nearby.

A STORY
A young businessman had just started his own firm in a newly rented office. Sitting there, he saw a man walking into the waiting area. Wishing to appear the big shot, the businessman picked up the phone and pretended he had a big deal working. He threw around huge figures and made giant commitments. Finally he hung up and asked the visitor, "Can I help you?" The man replied, "Yeah, I've come to hook up your telephone."