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21 January 2010

travis

Photobucket

I so rarely take pictures of men. I'm not sure why this is, but I'd like to make an effort to take more this year. I definitely don't have a style when it comes to male portraits, though I suppose I could specialize in beefcake photography of politicians.

I kid.

But, back to this guy you see above here. Travis is a great friend, and was such a natural model when he asked me to take a quick photo of him for work. In the 3rd click, I knew we had the shot. That almost never happens, especially with men. Usually they are painfully awkward save for one precious, unguarded moment that ends up being the photo I keep.

Men's tense demeanor and the "picture faces" of women too accustomed to posing are the toughest armour to penetrate. I make it my mission to do so, but it ain't easy.

If only there were a proven formula for helping everyone feel this relaxed. Until I find one, I'm gonna stick with lame jokes, compliments, and extremely cheesy imagined scenarios*. I throw natural super-cool aloofness (ha, imagine?) out the window and act like a giddy idiot if it will make people smile, sacrificing dignity for art. Every shoot is different, and it's only at least halfway in that I find the way to show a person as they are.

For these reasons, a portrait like Travis' here, wherein the subject is so immediately at ease in his skin, is just divine. Simple, yet perfect.

* "pretend someone just handed you a basket of kittens," "pretend you're walking out of the ocean in slow-motion wearing a heavy dress," "pretend you're about to avenge the woman who stole your lover by chopping off her hair..."

2 comments:

Question Mark said...

And if that wasn't enough, ladies, he is also a former fantasy football league champion. That's right! Try to control yourselves!

Little-known fact: Travis is so comfortable in his own skin that he turned down a starring role in Robbie Williams' "Rock DJ" video.

Unknown said...

Ha ha!