All “Pictures” are not “Portraits”

I make a living selling camera equipment to all kinds of “photographers” at most every skill level.  I realize we all started somewhere, and I invest a significant amount of time mentoring most anyone that asks for my help.  I enjoy the teaching aspect of my job and try to help whenever I can.

I will be teaching lighting as an Adjunct Professor at Belmont University this year and I’m on the advisory Board for Nossi College of Art.  I teach classes for groups, individuals, studio or corporate consulting and run workshops.  Recently I’ve seen a bunch of “cover shots” here in Nashville that are well, to be very polite, just not good.  So I’d like to illustrate what I think makes for a great cover shot.  This is our friend Erla Bartell from New Philadelphia Ohio.  She is our pastor’s wife at First Baptist and an Albanian by birth.  She was going to be featured on an Albanian Woman’s Missions magazine and she asked me to do the photo for her.  This is one of the sweetest families you will ever have the pleasure of meeting, and a family that totally loves the Lord and His work!  I was honored and excited for the opportunity.  So, here is my attempt at a “cover shot” that I think went very well.

I don’t typically write blogs that might be perceived as a rant, at least not intentionally.  However, there is just a rash of really bad work showing up when there are plenty of options for really great work!  If you are going to be on a cover, why not ask to hire someone that has the skill set to make you look the best you can?

This was not done with an amateur camera and available light.  I also didn’t use an “on camera” flash.  In fact I had a lot of equipment here to make it look totally natural, I created the environment and composition so it would work with the magazines layout that was provided to me.  I guess I just wanted to put up something to illustrate what is possible with some planning and execution.  Thanks Bartell’s for all that you do to invest in the families in Tuscarawas County and the other side of the world!