* If you are using a blog reader, you may need to visit my actual blog to see the slide show above.
I got a call last October from my friend, Tyler, asking me if I would photograph a Christmas party for street youth in Seattle’s U-District. It’s an annual party, and they usually have a volunteer take candid snapshots that they can give to the youth who attend. After talking for a little while, we both decided that it would be fun to set up a studio in a corner where anyone who was interested could get their portrait taken.
After I finished setting up, Tyler made an announcement about the studio letting people know that it was available. Everyone in the room turned to look at me. I smiled and waved, and then everyone turned back around and continued talking and opening presents. I waited for about 10 minutes, and still nobody came over. There were a lot of glances toward the studio, but that was it. I started walking around the room, and asking if people wanted to have their picture taken.
“No way man. I don’t want my picture taken.”
I knew it would just take one person to get things rolling, and moments later, that person arrived. Actually, he was a rabbit… Although I was excited about photographing a giant rabbit, I could tell that Santa was feeling uneasy and territorial. He took his white gloves off, one finger at a time, and threw them on the ground. ”This is my holiday, Rabbit!” He screamed across the room.
That’s a story for another day, though.
I was able to convince the rabbit to let me photograph him, and shortly after, people began lining up to join in. I took quite a bit of time with the lighting setup for this, and set the lights in a way that would allow for some movement and flexibility with each subject. I made an x on the ground, and asked each person to stand there. But beyond that, I didn’t control their movements. I wanted to let each person be themselves, and capture their personalities. I know that I am not the first person to photograph street youth. But often I feel that a subject like this is an easy way to create a dramatic story without any creativity. Street youth encounter struggles that many of us will never experience, some of them dress a little different, but that alone doesn’t make a great picture. What I loved about how these pictures turned out, was the laughter and humor that came through. I don’t think the pictures would have the same feel if I had taken as much control as I would have with a different subject. I might have asked Santa to look serious, though…Couldn’t resist that one!
What do you think about the slide show? Comments please. I have been posting pictures individually, but it seemed like there were too many for that this time. I’d love to hear what you think.
Comments
I loved the slide show. Setting up a studio for a party sounds like a great idea.
Love the slideshow. Would be cool to see an overall shot of the whole set-up. thanks for sharing.
there are some great portraits in that set. i love the expressions and feeling you captured with some of these. my favorites are probably #1, 5, 6, 8, 10. nicely done
curious as to why you chose such a warm hair light?
Great work! I love the slide show presentation. I think it’s a better way to show a group of photos than having to scroll through them.
The main light feels a bit cool in these? You’ve shifted the kickers (hair lights? separation light?) a bit warmer, but the main light looks a little blue…. on this screen anyways.
Great series, inspires me to try something of the sort. I would like to know a little more about the lighting setup if you don’t mind. It’s just an umbrella above camera and two yello backlights?
Thanks for the inspiration
Great idea and great portraits. Agree with the other comments above that the main light seems to be a tad cool.
The key light looks cool because I put a blue gel on it. No need to adjust your monitors.
Love the slide show. The photos are awesome, Santa looks a bit grumpy!
These are awesome. I actually love the blue gel on the key light, it really adds a lot. Was it a beauty dish?
Everything from the lighting to the backdrop is great. It is like there is a hyper sense of reality in these portraits. I guess I would call it a 3 dimensional quality. Would make an incredible series.
Awesome work john! keep it up!
John, while I loved the photos, I didn’t like the yellow lights coming in from the sides. I guess it’s difficult to colour-balance that stuff. But, the personalities of each of these people shine through, and that’s what’s important here; in this, you have succeeded.
PS: Did you have Santa posing at gunpoint???? LOL!
Ha. It’s not a color balance issue, or a color profile issue. I used gels on my lights for these portraits. The warm rim lights and the cool key light were intentional, and I really like the outcome. It’s totally a matter of personal preference though.
[...] it very interested. Last week we used gels and tried to recreate the photos on this blog… http://www.keatleyphoto.com/blog/santa-on-the-street/ There’s a video slide show that goes through a bunch of pictures with that setup. We ended up [...]
Hey John,
These shots are just fantastic! I am a huge fan of the PB set up and do it quite often when I shoot weddings. I feel your work is terrific and wish you many years of success. When’s a book coming out?
I really love these images. They are so clean…and modern.
Love your style- looking forward to your book!
I think you took a risk with the gels and it totally pays off! Great images that keep your clean-sophisticated-style. It looks like these guys are set up under a street light at the break of dawn, perfect for the subject.