I have always wondered why many great blogs start out very active with a steady stream of consistent posts and interesting content, but eventually slow down to a trickle. Then I started my own blog. And had to come up with my own content. And had to juggle it with my other responsibilities. And then tax filing happened. And then I moved. And then it’s May 4th today, and my previous blog post says March 16th. Oh. This is not that easy. I have a lot to say and show you, but don’t have a lot of time and energy to articulate it all into something comprehensible. And I’m not really one of those “photo-a-day” types–maybe photo a month if I’m being showoff-y. I’m just a pretty harsh critic of myself and don’t particularly like to show work that hasn’t been through the grinder (grinder meaning my editing process (editing meaning winnowing down, not retouching)). So I’m trying to figure out a way to keep this blog updated and relevant given how much of myself I can dedicate to it.
OK, now that I realize insightful content that people want to consume is hard to come by, what to do? How about I talk about my ongoing personal photo project? Duh, I should probably have talked about this sooner. Especially considering I have discussed images from other shoots for the project on this blog before, here with Michelle V and here with Michele S. The working title of the project is 35mm Day, and it’s called that because I shoot everything in the project with The 35 (Nikon 35mm f/2), which I discussed in my first two Gear Talk posts. When shooting for 35mm Day I only use this lens due to many of the reasons I described in Gear Talk and it helps me maintain a consistent perspective from shoot to shoot.
What’s the premise? I work with a model (and/or friend) to document a day in her life from a lifestyle fashion perspective. It always starts out at home, trying to capture the essence of how she (or he, though I haven’t work with a male model for this yet) starts her day. Either starting from in bed, in lingerie/pajamas, making breakfast, choosing outfits, putting on make up etc. It’s not supposed to directly replicate reality, but to capture the feeling and process of getting ready for the day in the morning. Or afternoon for some. From there the rest of the day is open ended and is specific to the subject. If she’s into fitness I follow her working out. If she loves a neighborhood restaurant then we grab a bite to eat. If she plays the oboe we make some music. If she’s an actor then I eat dinner at the restaurant she waits tables at. Just kidding. Kidding! Actually I buy a drink for the bar she tends. We can do anything and go anywhere as long as it’s something that she enjoys. It’s basically an idealized version of the subject’s best day, but it has to ring true. All capture in my lifestyle fashion perspective.
For Michelle V, who had just signed with IMG and just moved to New York, we explored her new digs in Williamsburg.
Michelle V trying to figure out which boots were made for walking.
The caption–sorry about that. But really, we just walked around and had a great time and got some fun shots. This was done back in February of last year, and I didn’t do my second shoot specifically for this project until this past January when I decided to resurrect it the project with another model that I had loved working with before, Michele S. I think these shoots work better with people that I already know and am interested in hanging out with and getting to know better. There’s just a higher comfort level and a level of interest from me that shows in the continuity of the story. What I’m saying is I only want to photograph awesome people for this project so that I don’t get bored. Michele S is one such awesome person and we spent a great afternoon shooting at her house, which had tons of nice vintage styling and then took a little drive down to the beach in her Mini Cooper. I already used some portraits from this set to show the versatility of The 35, so now I’ll discuss the versatility and natural beauty of Michele. Full photo story at http://www.tommyshihphoto.com/commercial/stories/michele-s-home/gallery.html
Michele putting on make up. Note the great vintage mirror in her room.
Not every image is specifically of the model or subject. I like to capture details that provide additional information about the subject and complete the story. For example, I thought this mirror needed further exploration.
Michele's mirror and tangle of bracelets deserved it's own close up
When doing these shoots, my intention is to tell a story, capture personalities, and I want the photos to have soul. One of the things I like to do is catch the subject off guard and get a laugh. If we’re lucky we’ll have a couple of running jokes established early and we can go back to the well when we need a laugh. It doesn’t always work out that way, but with Michele it was easy and natural. I’m pretty sure the jokes were stupid (or more likely brilliant!), but they kept us loose. Or she laughs a lot. Or she laughs when she’s nervous. But I’d be able to recognize a nervous giggle right? Right.
Sometimes being able to get a laugh is key
These next couple images I think have a lot of soul. They are intimate portraits of Michele and I hope they capture the real person, even in our slightly manufactured reality. To me they feel like they are a part of a greater story (see it here), but they can stand on their own as well.
Michele enjoying a private moment in the sun
And here in the last image, I think it just captures the experience of hanging out with Michele for a day. Fun!
No really, we did have fun and laugh. That part is true.
The rest of the story can be seen at http://www.tommyshihphoto.com/commercial/stories/michele-s-home/gallery.html
I didn’t spend a lot of time talking about the technical aspects of these photos, but if you have any questions on how the photos were made just ask in the comments. Just know that for this series I’m shooting everything natural light and sometimes add a reflector. That’s it. Remember it’s reality…but better!
Not everybody will be a good fit and I’m only doing a limited number of these so I’m not really actively searching for submissions. Most will be done with friends and models I search out, but if you are interested in being a part of this project as a model/subject, please feel free to email me. It can’t hurt:
info@tommyshihphoto.com
Subject line: 35mm Day
Include: name, current face and full body snapshots if I don’t know you or haven’t seen you in a long time, things you like to do that might work well for this series.