Jake of Dry Fly Media with a broken six-weight on Montana's Madison River.
I love candid portraits. Something unposed, casual, honest. Sure, traditional portraiture is an enjoyable method to practice as well, but capturing those hidden moments just seems so much more fun.
Many candid portraits break some rules. The focus is off… but the fuzziness draws attention to the expression in the eyes. The face is shaded… but it adds ambiance and imtimacy. The background is not as clean as a studio portrait… but it adds interest.
This shot of Jake at Dry Fly Media was captured in the last usable light alongside Montana’s Madison River a few weeks ago. He had just hooked into a big Brown that broke the tip of his Sage six-weight. It was a somber moment but Jake managed to grin and bear it as he came ashore. The expression on his face is the perfect “ouch”.
Often it can be a little awkward interrupting a private or sober moment in order to capture a picture. Have respect for your subject, of course, but if you can discreetly capture an image and the subject does not object, go for it. Smiles are relatively easy to get. It’s the other, more quiet expressions that are hard to capture – remorse, pain, sadness, anger. I just think a face without a smile is so much more interesting.
Don’t be afraid to break the rules once and a while. Yes, the rules were established for a reason. They offer us good quidelines for our art. But isn’t that what art is all about…
Creating?
Tags: People
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Love it!! that pretty much sums up how i try to work especially when working with fishermen! this is a fantastic shot of jake. Next time you are in Bozeman I would enjoy sharing a cup of coffee and possibly collaborating on some upcoming projects I have. If you are interested let me know. Keep up the solid work, I enjoy looking at your images! cheers Ian Majszak
Thanks Ian. As you can imagine, Jake was not too keen of having his picture taken at this moment… but he was trooper.
I’d be very interested in collaborating on some projects with you (sent you an email). I will hopefully be making at the very least a few trips up to Montana per year while I am living outside the state.
I enjoyed checking out Detonation’s website – Chrome Chasers makes me want to visit Alaska even more!