Want to be a subject in one of my photos? Awesome! I'll do it at no cost to you, but please read on to make sure your expectations match reality.
Firstly, I am not a photographer who has any dreams whatsoever of starting a traditional portrait studio. This is not a marketing tactic intended to try and undercut the prices of established studios in hope of establishing a client base to profit from later down the road. If fact, when I shoot portraits, the subject of the photos aren't even the intended audience. Maybe portraits is even the wrong term here. I mainly want you to let me into your life for a few moments so I can document a tiny slice of it.
So, if you are looking for a cheap deal on a typical portrait package that will show a glamorized version of your family all smiling in the autumn leaves while your children wear the same matching outfit, you're in the wrong place.
What I am doing is working on a longterm fine art project about people and their environments. This is just one of my methods I'm using to try and find people who would volunteer some of their time and let me into their world for a little while to make some photographs. I don't do glamorization, though I keep the door open to dramatization.
If my career as an artist continues to up-tick, I expect to use these photos in gallery exhibitions and fine-art book publications.
What am I looking for?
Nothing in particular really. Unexpectedness and happenstance is right at the core of the project. Mowing the lawn or checking the mail can be just as appealing of a subject as someone jumping parked cars on a riot wheel. Families throwing a get together in the yard? Tight-rope walking? Working on your motorcycle? Butchering livestock? Playing bocce ball? Hanging out at the beach? Its all good.
Got nothing exciting going on? Give me thirty seconds to look around your yard and I'm sure I can find a photo to make. I believe that any environment can be made interesting, and would love to try and prove it.
What should you expect?
Remember, this isn't a graduation portrait shoot. View this gallery if you want to see more example of the style I'm after. I doubt I'll ask you to smile, and I may have you not even face the camera. Depending on the environment, I might just ask you to go about your business and forget I'm even there. No runway moves are required.
There also won't be thirty-six different set-ups with six changes of outfits with two hundred exposures taken in each one. See that big camera in the photo to the right? The camera I like to use for these images is even bigger and not cheap to operate. One or two exposures is all I expect to make during any session.
If you have any questions, please ask them in the additional comments field on the sign-up form.
Do I get something out of this?
Yes! You get to be awesome.
What about use of the images?
Free access to the digital version to share with your family, or use as a Facebook profile photo or whatnot. Printed copies (which look far superior to anything on a screen) will be available at really good rates. How about $25 for an 8x10?