1/80sec 50mm f/7.1 ISO 1600

You can tell a story about a man from the look on his face. This statement rings true with this gentlemen here. He was one of the many guests at the event I was asked to photograph this past weekend. I knew after I saw this picture that I was going to love this photo. I mean there are so many things to take from it. On a technical side it taught me to build an appreciation of ISO 1600 and not to fear it. Lightroom has a remarkable ability to remove noise and it only requires a slight tweak. I didn’t actually use that in this photo, as you can see the particles in on the wall, but the great thing is you don’t even notice them until you look away from the subject. The second thing is my increasing stance on flash photography. It is by far the cheapest way to enhance the quality of your photography, with even more inexpensive to expand on from there. With a simple diffuser, and knowing to aim at the ceiling to create soft light from a harsh element, this would be drab and dark photo has been given new life. There is depth, there is detail, and there is…well light.

On a story telling side to this photo, I have enjoyed thinking about who this man is. I know all of you reading this, at one point or another, laid eyes upon someone you didn’t know and thought to yourself, “who is this person?” You might have even pondered that question for a time longer than you expected. This individual holds that old look. I don’t mean old as in age, even though it is clear he has many upon him, but that old look of character, distinguished, and almost a southern regal to him. With his hair perfectly parted, and his genuine smile, he almost looks like a true man of power. For all I know, he could be someone of great importance, or he could just be an every day Joe who looks good when he dresses up. The stories can pile up until you find yourself lost within their twisting paths. What I do know is, this photo makes me enjoy taking photos. This photo tells me I can keep doing this and I will not only enjoy it, but I will continue to produce images I am proud of.

Until tomorrow.