The Portrait Photographer

As you can probably tell, I have a slight infatuation with photography. Much like music. Much like technology. Much like a lot of things.

But like most things, there's a trick to mastery in every category. For portrait photography in particular, I've learned a few things. First, it's all about the eyes. You need to make them smile. That is - if you don't have life in them, you're not doing it right. Bounce flash from above, reflectors from below, and controlling the way your subject lights up is key to creating the perfect image.

Another trick is to make use of anything and everything to create the perfect shot. If there's a leaf distracting the image, walk on over and kick it to the curb. Need to climb a tree for a shot? Do it. It's this type of explorative and ballsy dedication to an art that really brings out the creative spirit of photography.

Finally, there's treasure all around us. This takes years to master, but the key is to find those areas around the places you live that seem to have their own special story around them. It could be the morning sun that comes in your window to light your lover doing the Times crossword. It could be the lamppost on the corner that illuminates the people on the sidewalk at dusk. It could be the last bit of sunset light on the wall of your office. Watch for these pockets. Have your snap finger ready.