Carlo.
What could I say to you that wouldn’t state the obvious?
Well first, I’d want to tell you how apprehensive he was to doing a photo shoot. I didn’t take it personally. I knew it wasn’t me. He just was more than slightly uncomfortable to having his portraits taken. But I finally got him to do it.
I call it “being a polite pest.”
Over the course of two hours, I aimed at capturing some simple portraits. I wanted a very soft ‘film’ look. I really hate how everything is so sharp these days with digital photography! With the help of my good friend Dustin, I set up my light grey background and 3 daylight balanced Wescott lights with softboxes.
I asked him to bring 4-5 wardrobe options to the shoot. We looked at the options and decided to go with basic tees and then just jeans.
I told him, “you work really heard to look the way you do. You should show it off. Just for yourself so when you’re older you can say..that’s how I looked when I was young.”
He reluctantly obliged. But he did it and was a good sport about the whole experience.
It’s been a couple of months and he says he likes the portraits that came out. Although, he admitted he hasn’t really shown them to anyone.
Too shy I guess.
I understand it completely. No matter what, I knew he was grateful for my work and he will appreciate it in the years to come.
And that’s all that matters anyway.
Creating great work. Showing someone a side of themselves they don’t see.
It’s really the best part of what I do.
