One thing I know about myself is that I'm a one-on-one guy. I've always been that way. I can connect with people one on one, or sometimes in small groups, but the minute there's more than 4 people in a room, I tend to get quiet and let someone else steal the energy. Like a lot of people, groups have never been my thing, but recently opportunities have been coming my way in photography for family portraits. I've tried to do my best to get over this one-on-one thing and embrace the group dynamic. When I first purchased my little portrait studio/clothing store, I never wanted to be a family portrait photographer, but as time goes by I see there's definitely a demand for it, and I'm more than happy to do my best to meet that need.
The other night I found myself busily pushing racks of clothing around in an effort to transform my 4,700- item online eBay clothing store (insert plug: www.menschoice.info) back into what could somehow work as a photo studio. This time it was for a family session with 8 people in my small 583-square foot commercial spot downtown Bellingham. As my eBay store grows, it's getting harder and harder to transform it for shoots, but I'm still able to make it work. For most of my photography career, it's been about that one-on-one connection. You know, creating a moment in a photo that the audience can connect with and appreciate. Creating an image the subject enjoys and can share with their family, and on social communities, that can convey who they want to be and how they want to portray themselves. I generally give some input on what I like, but usually the outcome is rarely up to me. I've learned to relinquish control and become comfortable with how photo shoots work, and just let it happen organically. When it's all said and done, to be honest, some of the art I like and some of it I don't, but the joy of the moment triumphs any frustration and I forge onward.
Of course, capturing an entire family in studio is an entirely different animal than the solo shoot. Getting eight people to all agree on one common goal is virtually impossible, so what I've learned to do is just try to get them all to look at the camera. Usually there is a hidden struggle for the energy in the room. I know as the photographer who owns the studio, the camera and the lighting, I'm supposed to be in charge, but the alpha female almost always ultimately takes over and some form of organized chaos usually results. As the guy with his finger on the trigger aiming to capture the moments, I try to do my best to calm the chaos. Whether it's an unruly toddler who doesn't want to sit next to his older brother, or the alpha male who stubbornly refuses to smile, there's always something. After a while you learn what to expect and find tricks to manipulate the energy in the room. To tell you the truth, I think I'm actually getting better at it. Like anything in life, the more you do it, the better you get. Practice truly does lead to perfection. If there really is such a thing. I think the great Green Bay Packers' coach Vince Lombardi said it best when he stated that, "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence". And anyone who lived through the 90s knows what the great Bill S. Preston said, "Be excellent to each other". And Ted Theodore Logan added "Party on dudes". Okay, I'm out of great quotes, but please read on.
We live in a world where energy is all around us. What we do with the energy in our bodies determines who we are. Everything we do is about energy. From time we wake up to the moment we close our eyes, we thrive on energy to move us forward. From the food we put in our bodies that provides the nutrients needed to channel our brains to move us to do what we want and need to survive, to the thoughts that allow us to bow out at night for some of that REM sleep that will allow us another day, everything is about energy.
One of the greatest energies I see in studio is the love for a child. The bond between a mother and her child is something we take for granted. We don't question it until it doesn't exist. Those of us who are blessed with healthy bonds growing up learn to love. Those who lack those bonds tend to struggle. John Lennon said it best when the Beatles sang "All We Need Is Love." My challenge for everyone who has read to this point is to ask yourselves how you are you using your energy. Are you channeling it into productive endeavors that will better your world. I certainly hope so. If not, make that change you hope to see in yourselves and others and the world around you will suddenly become that much better.
