Posts Tagged ‘portraits’
Brielle
My friend, Mitzi continues a generations-old tradition of having her grandchildren photographed when they reach the age of three. Each photo includes the same chair which is as old as the tradition. The wonderful thing about this for me is that none of the children ever pose for me. They simply present themselves to the camera.
The goal is a single photo with very narrow guidelines. It requires a vertical photo of a child relating to a specific chair and shot against a dark, neutral background. This simplicity allowed me to concentrate on capturing Brielle’s movements, all of which were self directed.
You and Me
Noah will be 13 months old tomorrow. The photo below was taken when he was three days old – literally a lifetime ago. I’ve pretty much filled up a hard drive with photos of him I’ve taken over those months.
I like this one because it shows not only the vulnerability of the son but of the father as well. Nose-to-nose is a posture that says “you and me.” Whether it’s football teams facing each other, a couple about to kiss, or a father cradling his son’s head, no one else matters at this moment.
You and Me
A Final Portrait
Not long before he died, Ken Taylor needed a new photograph of himself for a magazine. He apologized for the brevity of our time together and the lack of an “inspired” location – his office.
It was not unlike him to spend our time together worrying about how he should pose. This session, like most with him, was over before he thought it had begun. It was easy to capture images of this truly humble man.
I had photographed him a number of times over the years and I suspected that this would be our last shoot together. I could not feel badly that he didn’t wish to spend more moments of what little time he had having his picture taken.
This particular photo has not been published before and I like it because – although a silhouette – it reveals much about his personality and his life. As the author of the Living Bible he could have been a very proud man. Instead he remains a humble servant in the shadows of the God he represents.
Ken Taylor