So Why is a Background in Architectural Photography Useful to Somebody Who Wants to Photograph People?

I used to joke that I photograph architecture because buildings don’t move around nearly so much as people do.  But truth is, good architectural photos—photos of buildings and interior spaces—include people.  The inhabitants and users of a space animate an otherwise static scene.

In my photos of buildings I often go to some length to include people in a natural, un-posed way to capture an image that doesn’t appear staged or scripted.  Over the years I’ve learned to blend in—as much as you can with a camera and tripod—and wait.  Wait for people to walk by as they do during their daily routine.  Wait until the novelty of a stranger in the room becomes uninteresting, and the students or staff or patrons go back to what they were doing.

So photographing people in buildings is very much like photographing people.  There is a shift in emphasis: not so much intentional blurring of moving people into ‘action figures’, for example.

And not so obviously maybe, a history in architectural photography brings with it a well practiced awarness of and sensitivity to environment. Capturing the ambiance that is generated by human activity.

All in all not a bad way to come into it.

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Editorial photography as a singular pursuit or category is difficult to isolate — the lines are blured between it and portraiture, event, travel and even architectural.

Please let me know if you’ve got a project in mind or even just a vague notion of a story that you’d like to see in pictures.

For many of us, staring down the barrel of a camera is a dreadful proposition.  There’re not many activities more invasive than sitting in front of a soul-less, unblinking lens-eye while you ‘Try to look natural!’.  And it doesn’t help that the word ‘shoot’ has come to be associated with photography.

I can’t speak from personal experience, but I am confident that sitting for a portrait can be more pleasant than facing a firing squad.

It would be a great honor to help you or your organization with your portrait needs.  Please call or write about availability and scheduling.

Some terms you’ll see bandied about on the inter-web:

Headshot

Or Close-Up.  Same thing.  I can assist in deciding ‘how close’ in order to most appropriatly suit the purpose of your photo.

Location Photography

Also called ‘on-site’ by some.  This is to say, not at the photographer’s address, but yours.  Virtually all my Portrait Photography is Location Photography in this sense.  A bit of an obfuscation, Location Photography can be in a Studio style, with backdrops and controlled lighting or it can be in an Environmental style against the local surroundings and with the naturally occuring ambient light.

I typically come to your location; be it office, home, or a venue you have access to.  I don’t currently keep studio space, but have a handful of places I can recruit for the purpose.  Let me know and we can pursue options.

And my lights are battery powered, so don’t worry about your mountaintop shoots...

Studio Portraiture

Mentioned above, more a style than anything.  It implies controlled studio lighting, and a backdrop.  Or it suggests an indoor space, but it could just as well be outside.

Environmental Portraiture

This is as opposed to Studio Portraiture, which typically means a backdrop is placed behind the subject.  ‘Environmental’ can be as simple as  no backdrop.  Or it can approach Editorial Portraiture in which the individual’s surroundings are included in order to tell a story.

Pricing

Individual Session:  $280

This is a starting point — contact me for a proposal tailored to your particulars.  Or, I’d be happy to send you my standard rates sheet for you to puruse at your leisure.