Ready for the big screen

Over the weekend, I was passed along a client from talented Powell River portrait photographer Candace Roadknight (Beauty Bliss Photography). An aspiring actor from Edmonton, Alberta was in town and decided that he wanted to get some headshots done for his portfolio. He was on the path to starting a career in acting and knew he needed some good headshots to pass along to talent scouts and film producers. Two short hours, four wardrobe changes and five different locations later, we had captured some pretty strong imagery for him. I wanted to ensure that we got diversity that shows he can play just about any part that came his way; handsome lead male, action hero, funny sitcom guy, mob thug, and even sinister crazy in a Hollywood thriller. I believe diversity is the key for any actor…….much like a photographer who is really taking a liking to the art of portraiture 🙂

 

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People are nature too, no?

So those of you that know me and my photography, likely know that my passion is outdoor/landscape/nature imagery. I don’t delve too much into the world of portraiture. You know, the world that actually pays!! But photography to me, has never been about the cash. I know, how Eddie Vedder of me to say, but I gain more satisfaction from the art of photography, rather than the financial gains. The truth is though, the business realities of photography simply shouldn’t be ignored any longer. Besides, expanding my business to include portraiture doesn’t mean I cannot incorporate nature into the assignment shoots, right?

So when my friend, a local realtor, asked me last week if I wouldn’t mind providing him with some professional headshots, I immediately thought – what better way to see if this portraiture-world was right for me. Or at the very least, see if the whole experience would send me running to the nearest waterfall, frantically trying to re-ingite my lost love for the finer art. Ok, I’ll give it a try.

We started off at the Powell River Rec Complex. Beautiful trees with fall colours and an awesome bridge pathway made for great backdrops. It didn’t take too long to discover that I actually kind of like this 🙂

Darren Robinson Photography

Darren Robinson Photography

Darren Robinson Photography

Darren Robinson Photography

Darren Robinson Photography

 We then headed to Townsite, which would offer up a chance to put Josh in front of some character homes. He is a realtor, made sense to show him being one 🙂

Darren Robinson Photography

Darren Robinson Photography

We then decided to hit the lake. Incorporating even more nature into this shoot? I’m in. Josh even decided to skip a few stones at the end and show even more personality. Keeping your models comfortable is key to any good shoot and I could see Josh really starting to find his groove.

Darren Robinson Photography

Darren Robinson Photography

We were getting some really good stuff, so we thought we would try one more locale to make sure we got everything we needed. I am really glad we did because this last spot rendered what I believe are the strongest images. A rustic wood deck and chair was all that we needed to round out a fairly successful portrait session.

Darren Robinson Photography

Darren Robinson Photography

All in all, I am quite pleased with the overall experience. I discovered that shooting people can be just as rewarding as catching a mountain reflection on a lake. And in my case, even more challenging. With that said, I will now be putting together a plan to expand Darren Robinson Photography to offer portraiture services in the near future. Feel free to contact me if you are interested in learning more about them!

I do admit however, that my very next shoot will likely involve silence, the outdoors, and likely a whole lot of nature, without the human element 🙂