In honor of International Women's Day, I decided to post my latest photoshoot with this lovely African Nigerian beauty named Faith Désirée Grâce.
Photographing nature photography always comes easy to me but with portraiture, this is when the challenge begins. It was not until a few years ago that I began to challenge myself with taking photos of people. I mostly did it for fun as I tagged along to a photoshoot with my best friend, but I quickly began to realize the art behind this new challenge. Photographing an individual is more than just snapping a photo of someone. This is the time to get to know your subject and discover his/her features. What angles enhance someone's natural beauty? Should your model smile? If so, should he/she show teeth? What are his/her eyes saying while staring at the camera? What message are you trying to say in your photo? A model's body language, even the look in his/her eyes, speak volumes so one must pay attention to these little details.
While enjoying a beautiful day in Chicago by Millennium Park, I began my photoshoot with Faith by getting to know more about her. I told her to sit by a ledge and talk to me as I take test photos of her while adjusting the exposure and lighting levels on my camera. This allowed me to test the angles and the lighting that would work best with her features and skin tone, while encouraging my model to become more comfortable with me. Sharing common interests and making a model laugh will help ease the tension of a "photoshoot" and just make it a fun casual day to take photos outside. By relaxing your model, this will greatly impact your photos. Your model will no longer have tensed shoulders or hard facial expressions. The photograph below to the right was taken after Faith and I were laughing about a joke. As you can see, her face was more natural and relaxed. Always have your camera ready for casual moments like this. This is when you begin to see your model in her natural element.
The reason why I chose Faith to be my blog subject for International Women's Day is because I wanted to emphasize that all of us have natural beauty regardless of what we may personally feel. During the photoshoot, Faith was worried about certain "flaws" she felt she had. She was even self conscious about how she would look when smiling. As beautiful as she is with her serious and thoughtful demeanor, I always felt that photos of her laughing and smiling exposed her true colors. Never be afraid to smile and laugh while taking a photo. Being able to laugh demonstrates that your barriers have been broken and your natural elements are beginning to shine through with someone you trust.
What I admire about Faith is that she embraces positivity, looks at the world with optimistic eyes, and moves forward with determination in her heart. She is an entrepreneur who does not allow failure to stand in her way. She embraces her cultural beauty and continues to find ways for personal growth. And most of all, she is a woman.
May all you women out there in the world embrace your own natural beauty and continue persevering during times of hardship in this world of inequality. Show everyone that you will not stand down for what you believe in. You will continue to laugh and smile despite the weight we as women carry on a daily basis. Do not let this be your only day to shine. Shine every day and embrace the beautiful woman that you are, both inside and out.
