Why I don't follow a recipe when I cook (or when I take pictures)

I think I approach photography similarly to how I approach cooking. Let me explain…

When I cook I don’t follow a recipe. Well I kind of do, I reference the recipe and make tweaks along the way. I actually like to memorize the basic elements of a recipe so that I can improvise as I go. And though I’m no pro (except when it comes to crab cakes, I’m a pro there), I do know my way around a kitchen. I know what temperature is best for roasting vegetables versus a chicken, for example. I’ve got a good idea what ingredients substitute well for what. I always have garlic, ginger and shallots on hand, because they are quite possibly the perfect flavor trifecta (in my humble opinion). You better believe that when I invite you over for dinner I’m gonna make a damn good meal. 

My approach to my photography is similar to that of cooking. I have a method you could say, a few tried and true ways of approaching a subject. There are those elements that I always lean on: the kinds of light I’m naturally drawn towards, prompts to get people moving and interacting with each other and the environment, the texture, movement and emotions that I can’t help but try to draw out. 

And then there is my gear, and its particular quirks that I’ve learned to manage and even rely on. There are the particular lenses that I always reach for because I just love how creamy and beautiful they make portraits look. There are also the tools that I bring with me to change the effect, or help to mitigate a tough lighting situation. 

But when I photograph people there is no step by step recipe that I follow to get the same results each time. That’s not what I’m trying to do. Because each situation, each individual or family, each season for crying out loud is so different. The magic ingredient (if I may lean a little harder into this metaphor) is the individual on the other side of my camera. Their gestures and body language, how they interact with others and the elements around them, their personality and preferences. These all inform how I approach taking their portrait. And while before we begin I have an idea of the kinds of images I’m looking for, there is always, without fail, a kind of alchemy that happens when we start working together. A magical improvisation between the two (or three, or four..) of us. 

This is part of the reason why I love getting to know my clients before I photograph them. This is why I insist on at least one phone call, and send out a detailed, even pretty personal questionnaire. Because I’m so interested in who you are. And the sooner we can push past that slightly awkward, a little uncomfortable phase of getting to know each other, the easier it will be to make something magical, genuine, beautiful together. Something that truly reflects who you are.