Many thanks to Dana & Matt for helping me out with these portraits, they're a great and fun couple for whom I photographed their engagement portraits in and around Liberty State Park.
In my experience, there is one major difference between photographing events and photographing portraits. That difference is control.
At an event, like a wedding, it's the photographer's task to observe, anticipate and react to events as they unfold (how many websites have you seen that line in today? Just be glad I haven't started on all the "I'm passionate and honored to yadda yadda yadda stuff..." ).
When photographing portraits, however, the photographer is required to utilize a whole different set of tools, chief amongst those is his/her ability to manage people...
and bring out the personality and character of the subjects.
In short, he/she is in control of everything: the location, the attire, the time, the length of the session, as well as having control over whether to go ahead with the shoot or reschedule if the weather is inclement.
And like those humorous tv ads: "but wait, there's more!" The photographer even has the luxury of starting the portrait session with preconceived ideas of what he/she is looking for in terms of resultant images. The session may, consequently, be shaped towards those goals.
Perhaps through language, spoken and body, guiding the subjects along the way.
As I begin a portrait session, I often remember Minor White's words:
"The camera is nothing more than a recording device for an experience between two people."
I like to keep things pretty simple as I work on portraits.
Although I do use two two cameras for all my portrait sessions, most of the images are captured with a short telephoto lens. As important as its superb optics is the working distance between my subject and myself. It's not so far that I have to raise my voice and not so close as to risk entering the subject's space.
There's yet another reason for staying with this one lens as I work on portraits. The subject accepts, becomes acclimatised even, to one camera being held up in front of them and subconsciously relaxes, forgets about the equipment and simply follows directions.Yes, this point may be considered minor or subtle, however I believe that it is valid and worthwhile.
On the other hand, should the photographer keep switching lenses and cameras every few frames, it is not difficult to understand that the subject may a) become distracted and b) ask themselves does this photographer not know what he/she wants? Can he/she not make up his/her mind?
So, keep it simple, keep it sweet and have fun!
My thanks again to Dana and Matt, especially for being referred to as subjects in this post :)
Keep checking back for more George Weir Portraits and not-your-usual-blog-post blog posts.
Contact George Weir at 201.566.8925 to schedule your portraits today and make sure to follow me on Twitter @GeorgeWeirPhoto , you never know, I might even have something worth reading there!
