A Portrait is to Portray

When I take someone’s photograph there is a moment in which I inhabit them. I sort of become that person for a nanosecond. It’s like I am sucked into the camera and projected out through the lens. This is what it feels like to me. The result is something often startling.

My photographs reveal both you and, to some degree, me. You know how they say all writing is autobiography? Well I think that’s true of photography as well. This shouldn’t scare you. No boundaries are crossed here. But what I’m telling you is that we make the picture together, you and I. And it’s still a mysterious process to me.

The only thing I know for sure is when the light is perfect. That I have a knack for. The rest is kismet. I have to trust that all the elements will come together. And they usually do. What’s that tell you? For me it’s that this is an organic process driven by synchronicity but based on solid principles of composition and lighting. Everyone can take a great photo. Everyone. Meaning that we can all be conveyed as rich, deep, complex, beautiful beings in a photograph. I honestly believe that.

Whether it’s an executive portrait, or a personal one, what’s important is that the true, authentic person come through. How do we make this happen? Through mutual agreement. You decide to be real, and I agree to treat you with dignity and respect. It doesn’t matter if you’re an Admin or a CEO, the process is the same.