Portraits in the city, a birthday gift
I’m usually chasing toddlers around their homes with my camera, so it was a welcome change of pace and scenery photographing Conrad in Atlanta.
We met up near the BeltLine as the sun was setting and spent some time chatting away the initial nervousness of meeting someone for the first time. Portrait sessions are always a little uncomfortable at first. There’s a vulnerability in setting yourself up to be seen. I feel uncomfortable at first too. I don’t really love directing people around, and I definitely don’t love the feeling of having an audience of dog walkers and restaurant goers for the photo session.
But the energy always shifts quicker than I think it will. As we follow the gazes and our hunches the camera between us starts to feel more like an invitation for interaction rather than an obstacle, and the audience around us has completely dissipated. I often fall and trip in photo sessions because once I get into the flow, my relationship to the environment changes and I forget about my feet in order to focus on the frame.
As is often the case, we spent longer than I thought we would making portraits. It was play for me, and I hope it felt that way for Conrad too. I’m glad we did because the night gifted us new opportunities to find light.
Conrad’s mom scheduled this portrait session as a birthday gift to him, and I hope the feeling that lingers in these images is the gift that his mom truly sees him and honors the person he is. Which is truly the best gift.
