Story Telling
I consider photography to be a form of story telling. Editorial photography is about telling a story about another story. One of the joys to editorial photography is there is plenty of room for creativity & interpretation. A successful Phoenix editorial photographer needs creative vision and an arsenal of photo techniques with the experience to know when to use them.
Environmental Portraits
Environmental portraits can be very satisfying when all the components cooperate. Not all environments are photogenic and not all subjects are photogenic. It is the job of the photographer to figure out how to make the two work together to create an engaging image. Sometimes it’s the choice of location or the quality of light. Or just a matter of coaching the subject to get the interaction you are looking for. Some of these images were created the same way I made my Natural Light Portraits.
Archtechture
Architecture photography usually requires thorough scouting, planning and coordinating. What is the best angle for the viewer to see what is being showcased? When is the best light for that angle? Who’s gonna bring coffee? As I figure out what needs to be in the shot and what doesn’t, I find the location usually tells me where the camera needs to go. It’s like a math problem that solves itself. Then it is a matter of visually simplifying the set. This is a great time for an OCD flareup. There is inevitably something that gets moved back and forth a couple inches, plants rotated, curtains & blinds adjusted. Everything juuuusssst right so as not to create any visual tension.
Automotive
Automotive photography is unique because you are working with such a large mobile subject. There are lots of rules about where a car can and can’t be so naturally there is lots of scouting and planning involved. Action cars shots get even more complicated technically and logistically. Black cars are the most difficult to light because they show everything in their reflection. White cars almost light themselves but, can be challenging to show shape. Silver & red are the easiest. The rebirth of metallic paint in consumer cars changed car photography. In order to show the metallic fleck in the paint you need direct light which was very different from the trend at the time. I’ve said it before. If a photographer can light a car & skin then they can probably light anything.
I may need to create a few blog posts to talk more extensively about some of these images.
Written by Pheonix editorial photographer Jason Koster
