Stepping Outside the Studio
Although the studio offers limitless possibilities for lighting for portrait photography, the freedom can be paralyzing. The sterile, controlled environment is a catalyst for perfectionism; in the context of a studio, I often found myself stuck in an unproductive cycle of making subtle adjustments instead of taking pictures. The concept of this project was to challenge myself to step outside of the studio, exchanging its many amenities for freedom and spontaneity.
I detached the six-pound medium-format Mamiya RB67–the camera I use most in the studio–from the tripod to which I normally had it permanently affixed and trailed Mariam and Val around campus, taking pictures in the various places I frequented (mostly the reg, it turned out). Without the many lights and reflectors I was used to in the studio, it was a rewarding challenge to achieve the style of portraits I was accustomed to making. One of my favorite photos in the series was taken of Val in a reg cubicle, where I adjusted the cubicle lamp to the warmest setting to achieve a tungsten-esque lighting effect.
I took another ambitious step and brought the large-format Toyo 4x5 field camera to my apartment (which unfortunately cannot be used without a hefty tripod) and let it sit as temporary furniture in my living room. Over Thanksgiving Break, Val happened to visit my apartment wearing a scarf and coat combination that I could not resist photographing, resulting in some of my favorite portraits of the series. All of the pictures taken were essentially spontaneous, often with only minor input from me.
I cannot thank Mariam and Val enough for their patience in tolerating my frequent and unanticipated requests to photograph them as they went about their day. I could not have accomplished this project without their willingness to participate.
