Under the Bridge

Literally this was taken under a bridge. Sometimes you get a much better image when you’re out of the direct sunlight.  At least in this case we think so since it really fit the ‘theme’ of the photo session. And that’s what I want to talk about this week – picking a theme.

 If I could give anyone a tip to create images with impact it would be to pick a theme or an idea you want to express. That will help you to eliminate distracting and competing elements from your frame and will  keep you on track of what it is  you’re trying to capture.

Another tip I’d give anyone who wants to create something like this is to let your subject go. I told Stephan to play something awesome for me. I wanted a genuine image of him in action. Not only did it get me some fantastic images, it also got Stephan a couple of gigs. On two separate occasions during our session we had to stop because someone heard him play, stopped and wanted to talk to him. It was a winning combination. We all had a great time during the session listening to him play and he got himself a couple of gigs.

For a portrait of Stephan P – a great musician, I wanted to portray a lonely saxophonist out enjoying the beautiful music he creates. And I think we succeeded.
Leave a reply and let me know what you think.