strangers in a frame

Matt was a great storyteller. It was only fitting that his tattoos told equally detailed tales. His stories were heartwarming and filled with emotion. I asked simple questions about each piece while I photographed him, and in turn received a personal moment in his life that brought a smile to both his face and mine. We were complete strangers at first shot, but at the end of our brief session, I felt very much connected to Matt on a personal level. I wanted to create that humble relationship that developed in Matt’s portrait. I asked only that he sit in this specific chair (which I came to find was a family heirloom). It has an autumn palette and looked comfortable and warm, which helped to create the tone of the photograph. Matt is central and focused in the frame, and I’ve intentionally cropped off bits of his tattoos without eliminating them from the photo. The warmth of the light, and his expression were most important. He’s listening. Great storytellers are often great listeners/observers as well. His smile is kind and he has a gentle face, all which support the overall emotion of the photograph. I’ve kept a great deal of the detail soft. There were no real hard blacks, but there is balance between the light and dark in the image. The editing was extremely minimal, and this is one of my favorite portraits to date.

  msieja2 Jul 5, 2013 11:07 AM