Photographing people- it’s what I do…

I’ve had the good fortune to celebrate a great many exciting events… and whether it’s activists building a radio station, experts at a conference, veterans marching to valley forge, friends getting married or farmworkers winning a boycott, everywhere I’ve looked I’ve found nothing but beautiful faces.

There’s a misconception in our society that some people are “photogenic” and some are not. This is a load of garbage, perpetuated in part by industries trying to cash in on those insecurities that they reinforce.

The fact of the matter is that you can take a beautiful picture of anyone. What’s the secret to making them “photogenic”? Besides good light and good composition, the secret ingredient is comfort. People don’t look good unless they’re comfortable with the camera. So don’t stress- you’re already beautiful!

I’ve gotten pretty good at candid portraiture, and have done more than my share of big event photography. Taking good candid portraits takes a pretty huge emotional input, and is really exhausting, so I’m doing less and less of it and having to charge more and more. But here and there, for certain special events, I’m always happy to photograph a beautiful crowd…