When people ask me what my favorite subject is to photograph, they usually expect me to say “weddings” or “food” (the two things I’m most known for). But honestly, it is “women.” I’m not sure why, but I think that being a person who is not comfortable in front of the camera (which is why I’m always behind it), it gives me great pleasure to put women at ease and capture them at their best, from just the right angles, doing the things they love, and feeling beautiful. Women are both delicate and fierce and I like to capture that.
I’m working on a new series of images this year: women from all walks of life, doing something they love, or being somewhere they are comfortable and happy. Women in their element. The things and places where they shine.
This started after I saw a video about a woman who does her own epic self-portraits. She’s a Canadian woman in B.C. and spends a lot of time in the Rockies. Her self-images are exquisite. I started thinking how incredible it would be to take photos of women in nature, out in the elements, in an area that resonated with them. But it kind of morphed into taking photos wherever they were comfortable, in places indoors or outdoors that resonated with them. Not everyone is in tune with, or feels comfortable in, extreme nature areas. I want the subject to feel entirely at home in the location(s) they pick to be photographed. And yes, I am letting the subject pick the location, and I will work within that space, wherever it is.
I have put together a Pinterest board of “Women in Their Element”–images that speak to me and show women seemingly thriving in a particular/unique environment. If you end up posing for me, now or in the future, this board can potentially serve as inspiration toward figuring out what your elements are–what makes you happy, cozy, comfortable, thrive?
I plan to do 10-12 sessions for free, to get a portfolio together. My goal is to eventually offer women (and men, too) a sort of elevated head-shot shoot–something between a lifestyle/fashion shoot, fine-art portraiture, with some additional personal branding (if desired).
I’ll start shooting these sessions in the late spring, as weather in Seattle gets better, unless someone’s “elements” are 100% indoors, then it doesn’t matter when. But I also want to give the models time to contemplate what their “elements” are, and how they envision the ideal portraits of themselves set in an environment that is meaningful to them.
What to expect:
* An initial consultation regarding your shoot
* I’ll need at least 2-3 hours of your time for the shoot (potentially longer, depending on your location, or if there’s more than one location); this can be split up between two days if it’s necessary in order to capture each one
* I’ll provide a model release that we both sign, showing that we jointly own the rights to the photos–you can use them however you want (social media, your website, company headshots, etc.).
* A one-month turn-around time with the images; since I work more-than-full-time doing three different jobs (tech) plus frequent travel, I’ll need time to really work on these to make the images the best they can be.
* I’ll want a review of my work. Obviously, I would like good testimonials, but I am also open to constructive feedback to make my work even better.
That Infernal Itch 