Nearly half of all my completed photo shoots so far this year have been done in the studio, up from just 15% in 2019. In part, this can be explained by the coronavirus crisis – there is simply much less of other kinds of work such as corporate events. But after only four months of full activity (all bookings from mid-March to the end of June were cancelled), I’ve already done more studio shoots than in the whole of 2019.
I don’t think I’m encouraging this trend myself. My personal preference is actually for environmental portraiture shot in the subject’s home or office, in a park or in the street. But I am coming to appreciate the ‘purity’ of a studio portrait session. And perhaps potential clients visiting this site like the examples that I post here, and want the same look themselves.
My studio is in the attic of my home. I welcome my clients at the front door and usually offer them a glass of water or a cup of coffee. Then we climb the stairs to the studio. As we sit to catch our breath, I open a conversation.
Very few people expect to enjoy being in front of the camera. Most of us are self-conscious about some aspect of our appearance, and we are all self-conscious about our selves. It’s not easy to be looked at so intensely, especially by a stranger. Chatting quietly for five or ten minutes before we start to shoot provides a basis for trust to grow between us. (“The photographer seems okay. He’s interested in me. He’s listening to what I want.”) My aim is to create a mood in which the subject no longer feels afraid, accepts to work with me, and finally opens willingly to my gaze.
We discuss different clothing options, positions and backgrounds. Quite often, people expect me to direct the entire shoot. “You’re the professional. Just tell me what to do.” I explain to the subject that I will need their active collaboration. I will take care of the light, the focus and the depth of field. But I can’t control their facial expression. Just ordering someone to relax can have quite the opposite effect. And telling them to smile usually produces an unnatural grimace. I give hints (“try resting your weight on one leg as if you were waiting in a queue”). I encourage the subject to move, to try different angles and positions. I tell them when I see an expression or a position that works well, and from time to time I show them the photograph I’ve just taken. The session becomes a kind of game that we are playing together.
Especially if someone gets ‘frozen’ in a particular pose, it’s important to take frequent short breaks. I will take the opportunity to adjust my lighting set-up, and let the client check their face and clothes in the mirror. If they have been standing, I may suggest trying some seated shots. When we start again, muscles have relaxed and thoughts have moved on. We can make a fresh start.
Almost always, something magical happens at least once in the course of a studio session. The subject’s thoughts and feelings, all the tiny muscles around his or her eyes and mouth, my hands controlling the angle of the camera and my finger releasing the shutter, all line up in such a way that the photons of light bouncing off the face, passing through the lens and hitting the sensor’s 45 million pixels produce an image to which the only response is “Wow!”
