Hungry for Ideas?
Thursday February 9, 2006 by Kevin Kubota
Most of the couples we photograph are not “model material”, in fact they’re usually barely comfortable in front of the camera. They’re just everyday folks with a desire to look good – but natural. One of my favorite ways to get everyday people to look more relaxed and natural is to try and photograph them in an environment that is familiar and comfortable. I’ll try to use their home, their favorite stomping grounds, a place they love to visit, or somewhere else meaningful. If there aren’t any familiar environments to use, we’ll try to at least attempt something that is along the lines of what they enjoy doing – like shopping or visiting a coffee house. These are all great beginnings for a lifestyle photo session.
I did this engagement session two days ago with a couple that recently opened a restaurant in town. When we initially talked about the session, the fact that they owned a restaurant – and spent most of their waking hours there – started my squeaky idea wheels turning. We decided to do our shoot in the restaurant, building a lifestyle story around a typical day in the aroma filled setting. I began to imagine cozy embraces around a candle lit table, (getting) cooking together in the kitchen, and playful cat and mouse games while preparing fresh loaves of bread. The possibilities were endless, and the environment couldn’t be more natural for them.
They admittedly were not comfortable in front of the camera, and the guy was somewhat reserved and “macho” – but in a pleasant sort of way. He did not smile for the first 15 minutes of our meeting, and I had my doubts about being able to capture fun and romantic images (always my goal). But when I finally got him to crack a smile – he really lit up! He had a wonderful smile that changed his entire facial structure. This affected my approach to photographing him. I knew I had to get smiling photos – so the serious, pensive, fabio-esque slash Blue Steele looks were out. But how to keep him smiling? Keep him talking about the things he loves.
The obvious first topic of discussion for photographers is “Tell me about how you two met.” Culinary school, of course. We kept him talking about foods, wine, his woman, food, more wine, more women. When he smiled, she smiled, and the long-faced macho man became a snuggle bug with love to spare. I’m not afraid to tell a big guy he’s got a nice smile (especially when my wife is standing next to me), and it works just as well on men as it does on women. He lets it shine, and his fiancée loves it too.
Another trick to keeping the session light and fun is to keep things moving. I devote a lot of time to understanding my equipment and lighting so I can quickly move from spot to spot with little apparent effort. This keeps them interested and spontaneous. The minute I sense they’re becoming bored with a setting or idea, I move on to something else. This keeps me on my toes and opens the doors to fresh ideas.
One thing I always talk about in my workshops is the concept of intuition – and how to use it. By allowing yourself to listen to that little voice in your head (the other little voice), you open the floodgates to creativity. Don’t be afraid to ask! This is the number one roadblock to great images – photographers have the ideas and intuitive sparks, but are not confident enough to suggest them to their clients. We don’t think they’ll understand what we’re going for – and usually they don’t. But that’s ok! Trust yourself, and ask them to trust you as well.
Our entire photo session lasted only about 45 minutes, but within that time we got photos dining romantically at a table, working and playing together at the café bar, lounging on the front porch, snuggling on chairs in the snow (yes, cold frozen snow) outside the front of the restaurant, and sensually preparing food together in the privacy of the kitchen.
The key things I want to share here are: use an environment that is comfortable or meaningful to your client, look for the little personality clues that will open the floodgates of emotion, talk to your client about them – not yourself, know your equipment so you can work quickly, and listen to your intuition because it will always lead you to great images. Oh, and don’t go to a photo shoot in a restaurant on an empty stomach.
Note on images: All images were captured on a Nikon D200 using natural light and one white reflector. The camera was set to auto ISO and no tripod was harmed in the making of the photos. Lenses used: 70-200mm F2.8 VR, 50 mm f1.4., and 12-24mm f4 DX. These images use the following actions from our Artistic Action sets: Mocha B&W, Lord of the Rings Everyday, Digital Fill Flash, Edge Blur, Smarter Sharpen, and Digital dark.
Kevin Kubota teaches workshops on digital imaging and creativity, and provides Photoshop actions and workflow training products. Visit the Kubota Image Tools website for more info: www.KubotaImageTools.com.
