Hey all you crazy cats and kittens!
It's April! The weather's getting warmer. And that means we're entering photo season!
If you're thinking about booking or are already preparing for a professional photoshoot this year, don't miss my easy, breezy step-by-step styling guide for flawless professional photos. Whether you work with me (p.s., I hope you do) or another photographer, this FREE guide takes all the guesswork out of what to wear for your next photoshoot so you can show up looking and feeling fabulous. Get it here!
Recently, Dan made a career change to advocate for affordable housing here in Maryland and throughout the DMV region. That career change, along with a handful of other life changes, was the perfect reason to invest in a professional lifestyle and headshot session... So, Dan and I headed down to Blagden Alley here in Washington, D.C., which is ooozing with gorgeous colors, textures, and character.
Just before I left to meet Dan for our session together, I posted a short video on Instagram featuring the gear I bring to every headshot, lifestyle, and portrait session.
That gear? One camera body and one camera lens. No lights. No backdrops. No tripods.
My minimalist approach to professional portrait photography stems from my training as a photojournalist. It's what I feel most comfortable with. But as I've developed as an artist, I've come to truly see and appreciate the value minimalist photography brings to my clients.
This session with Dan exemplifies that those benefits, so I thought I'd share them here:
- Easy, direct communication between photographer and photographee: Like most of my clients, Dan doesn't get professional photos on the regular. In fact, our time together was one of Dan's first experiences working with a professional photographer.... which meant I needed to take my time with Dan to build rapport, establish trust, and help Dan become comfortable in front of the camera. Building connections with clients is at the heart of my approach to photography, and my minimalist style easily facilitates that. If I need to talk to a client, encourage them, build confidence, or offer posing tips, I simply take my camera out of the equation and re-enter it when my client is ready.
- No time lost setting up or tearing down miscellaneous gear: The variety of images, poses, and backgrounds in this collection of photos speaks directly to how quickly we were able to work and level of mobility. I guarantee you that had we had extra equipment, we would not have gotten so many different images.
- No time lost testing and trying new things. (If something doesn't work out or a client doesn't feel comfortable, we simply just move on to the next location): In Blagden Alley, specifically, this is a big one. Space was tight and we were sharing this area with other pedestrians, vehicles, as well as another photographer and their client!
Be sure to follow me on Instagram (@jonnamichellephotography) for more behind the scenes content!