In-between moments of real.

One of the things that I frequently engage in discussions with people (especially other photographers) on is the debate over sharpness, focus and technical perfection. In all honesty there really is no wrong answer here. If you have or are making photographs that you are happy with then that is the right answer for you.

For me, the most important thing is the moment. Is that moment moving and fluid or is it better portrayed in a clear and sharp approach? Every image has its emotion whether is be moody and emotional or more of a documentation approach. I try to leave myself the opportunities for "happy accidents" to happen as I find beauty in moments that are not able to be scripted. I love those moments. The in-between moments of real.

As a portrait photographer I can only capture what my subjects give to me. I always strive to be respectful of my subjects and show them in a light that they will be proud of but also to let them see something of themselves that they may not have seen before.

This is yet another of the images from the session with actor Tyler Hubbard. We sat in the studio with a simple background, natural north-facing window light and my Hasselblad loaded with Tri-X 400. The lens was a 150mm focal length so I wasn't right up in his face but I also wasn't a long way away. My shutter speed in this light was 1/30 of a second so if he moved quickly when I pressed the shutter you would see movement.

We talked, laughed and he ran through a series of interpretations of actors that inspired him from Marlon Brando to Tom Cruise to Leonardo DiCaprio and I pressed the shutter release at various points in our banter. This is one of the photographs from this part of our sitting that I love. It is real, it is unscripted and it will be a memory for many, many years to come.

I'll be posting and sharing more photographs from this session in the weeks to come so stay tuned if you want to see images from the beginning of a talented young actor's career just as it really begins to bloom.

Mr. Tyler Hubbard. August 2016.

Mr. Tyler Hubbard. August 2016.