Thanks for visiting, but…

This is a quick note to update everybody on how/why the blog is evolving…

Over the 2-3 years I’ve been scribbling (poorly) about this and that, thousands of hits have been recorded and kind feedback received. However, such is the schedule these days it’s hard to get the time to sit down and write something which people might actually want to read. I really don’t want to resort to every post being simply a string of pictures from a job as this is a lazy way to inform – you can see lots of shots on the main site.

So, from today, the info, bulletins and various whatevers will be displayed in the ‘news’ section of markbothwell.com in a micro-blog sort of way. It’s easier for me to do, will be updated more frequently and is more convenient to locate given it’s link directly from the front page.

Thanks for everybody who’s come and said hello… see you on the other side!

M

Keeping it simple

For me, simple is good when shooting people, the only thing that’s important in a portrait is the subject. I look at shots in certain newspapers and books and while they’re very clever and amazingly intricate in their lighting, it all seems a little too much somehow. A brilliant example of this is Vanity Fair magazine. On one hand you’ve got heavily styled, iconic shots of film stars and personalities, and on the other you’ve got quiet, delicately lit portraits of lesser known people which are gorgeous in their simplicity. Another great place to see people pictures at their best (in my opinion) is any GAP store. Look around at the walls at those effortless shots of men and women just gazing into the lens in a relaxed, less-is-more way… just what portraits should be.

A recent feature on my portraiture style in 'The Player' magazine

Whenever I’m asked to shoot people I try and keep it straightforward and light-hearted. Put your subject at ease and you’ll get more from the shoot because this is as important as any lighting trick or skill. Like a lot of photographers I tend to favour a large softbox as my main source of light. With this key light positioned high right or left I also sometimes add a reflector on the opposing side of the subject. With this simple combo you’re assured of a soft, kind light for the portrait. Try and position the softbox as close as possible to the subject (closer means softer with diffused light) but not so close they look/feel uncomfortable or intimidated. A second light is useful (but not always essential) as positioned correctly this can perk up a background, highlight hair and generally add depth to the image.

Continuing that basic feel, albeit now in a commercial sense, I’ve included a couple of examples of how I feel this non-fussy approach really works. The portrait below is Le Mans winner and BTCC star Darren Turner. I’ve worked with Darren for years on numerous things for SEAT UK and he’s always relaxed and easy to photograph. This shot is a good example of why things need to be simple. The point of the picture is that together with others in the set it is released to the media as an official portrait displaying team sponsors and the latest driver racesuits.

They are published time and time again over several months so need to be clear and precise. The lighting set-up was very similar to the description above in that the source of light was a softbox positioned high camera right. The only difference here is that there’s another light behind Darren, positioned about thigh height, shooting a very soft throw upwards. This slightly illuminates the dark grey paper background and lends a little depth, bringing the person forward in a subtle way. One other good tip to nice people pics is try not to make somebody do something they’re not happy with. Whether it’s a particular body position or angle of the head, it’s really important the subject is happy with what you’re doing, otherwise you’re basically battling with your main asset. I never ask people to smile if they don’t want to, I’d rather have a relaxed look coming straight into the lens, it’s much more pleasing and doesn’t distort the face.

Finally I’ve included something from a batch of shots of leading thriller writer David Hewson. I had travelled down to his lovely home in Kent to shoot a selection of material for his own PR. The portraits were for book jackets, on-line use and publicity inclusion by his publisher Pan Macmillan. David’s a charming and serious guy and the kind of chap who wants stuff done asap so he can get on with his day. So, this being clear, I rigged up two lights in his study for a series of relaxed shots. With those done we moved to doing a final few portraits using simple window light in his lounge (example). These proved the nicest from the morning’s work and I’ve seen them published in newspapers and reviews in many places since. He simply sat down in a chair, leaned forward, and I asked him to look into the ambient light – the result is a relaxed shot of a man lost in thought. The unlit side of the picture fades nicely into shadow and is very effective for something that took only a couple of minutes to complete.