For this photoshoot with Madelene, I wanted to get a set of images with a refined look and richer contrast. All the pictures on this post were taken with my 50mm F1.4 lens and a polarizing filter mounted on it. My initial plan was to overpower the sun with gelled flash and a small soft box, and I completed this session in ambient light, setting my lens to closed-down apertures for a greater depth of field.

I want my strategy to depend on planning and not what I can do afterwards and make a picture look better. I almost never depend on someone striking a pose, or fancy camera gear, so when taking someone’s portrait, I do my best to stimulate self-expression as I hold on to my basis of working with minimal equipment and laid back interaction. So I’m thankful to Madeline for making it possible from the start!

Madelene is a singer/songwriter with great style and an ability to be in front of the camera. She has started a very impressive modeling portfolio and I’m sure she’s well on her way to establishing a successful modeling career. We met at around noon on Mill River Park in Downtown Stamford and shot for about an hour. In the first sequence of shots, I tried to emphasize the geometry and perspective available in the area, and eventually, I was drawn to the texture on exterior walls that came in handy on a sequence of 3/4 view and mid-body portraits. We completed this portrait session on a park bench and across a small river, which gave those pictures a painterly character I really liked.

Five years into this rabbit hole, I ‘m quite content to strip my mindset from gear acquisition and just focus on the equipment I already have to create the work I’m able to make. Consistency is more valuable than manufactured products, because it shows work progression and problem solving.