Portraits, Portraits, and More Portraits!

Art Duckworth with his new wind turbine at his Apple Orchard Farm in Stanley on Saturday March 21, 2009. The wind turbine, originally installed in Intercourse Pennsylvania, was built in 1946 by the Aeromotor company and will pump water from a cistern for home and farm use.

Sometimes you don't get what you want--Sometimes what you get is even better!

Just last week I was thinking it would be nice to shoot some portraits--more specifically the environmental type. I enjoy the challenge of capturing a person's character and telling their story in a portrait. Sometimes a portrait can do something that straight new photos can't, and often they compliment one another to do even more.

This week I got what I wanted: two portrait assignments and a third that needed a portrait as part of the package. I already made a post about the first assignment on Thursday--the Faceless Portrait--but some of the others were an adventure as well.

Friday I went to shoot portraits of an athlete and coach of the year at a local high school. I had a ton of great ideas, and two friendly and eager subjects. Unfortunately my lighting equipment wasn't on the same page.

The PC to hot shoe adapters I use to trigger my flash units off camera gave out as I was taking test shots with my first set up. After losing valuable time fumbling with gear trying to improvise a solution I decided to just use the rather nice ambient light instead. They were understanding, and while I didn't get what I wanted I did get something very usable.

While I wasn't able to get the parts I needed before Saturday's assignment, I was able to work around it. I headed to Apple Orchard Farm in Stanley where Art Duckworth (top) was having a windmill installed, and I already had an idea in the back of my head.


(MULTIMEDIA FROM THE EVENT)

The photo at top is an example of vision meeting reality. Typically, when I get a portrait assignment I have some ideas of what I want to do, but I often end up going a different rout after scoping out the location and meeting the subject. In this case the idea I had in my head was the only shot I took--and I got almost exactly what I wanted!

In photography there is a lot to be said for the little happy accidents, but it's always satisfying when I can come up with and idea and make it a reality!

All-Gazette Girls Player of the Year Shannon Smith helped take Forestview High School's girls and boys basketball teams to the state championship games in Greensboro earlier this month.