Clients often hire me to make emotionally nuanced images. In one case this year, my team and I weren’t allowed to share the results but we loved the pictures so much we shot a similar project of our own: a portrait study gently juxtaposing strength and vulnerability. But this time we’d be working with hired talent rather than real people.
Here’s where directing — much like directing for motion, actually — comes into play. Creating a narrative and guiding the talent to that fine line between too much and too little. Talent are so often used to their energy level needing to be at a 10, so it can be hard for them to feel comfortable toning it down.
I love subtle but unmistakable emotion. And I never tire of the challenge of having no more context to rely on. Just a person, a camera, a backdrop and some lights.
Shot at Pro Gear Rental‘s studio in Chicago. Talent from our friends at Ohlsson Model and Talent, Planet Earth Agency and Lily’s Talent. Fuel by Metric Coffee.
