Assignment: Get in a time machine and go back to the 50s. Find an emerging artist and create a portrait with the technology you find available.
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Tag Archives: portrait
Shooting Victim: Ursula K. Le Guin
May 19, 2009 – 6:55 pm
Disclaimer: Shooting Victims is a portrait series by Benjamin Reed. No subjects were harmed in the making of this photograph.
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A world renown author, Le Guin has received the Hugo and Nebula Awards on multiple occasions and has received eighteen Locus Awards for her fiction, more than any other author in the universe. She was one of the first female authors to make a significant impact in science fiction and fantasy.
Ursula invited me into her home for this portrait session. The eyes are often the most important part of portraiture revealing the essence a subject’s character. I wanted to move away from tradition in this instance, instead focusing on every aspect of her character except for the eyes. The result – it tells a completely different story.
I like that.
Shooting Victim: Kobe Bryant
March 29, 2009 – 1:22 pm
Disclaimer: Shooting Victims is a portrait series by Benjamin Reed. No subjects were harmed in the making of this photograph.
Everybody knows Kobe. Hate him or love him he is the face of the NBA around the world right along with Lebron James. This was evident when our players went to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Chinese fans hounded Kobe and the rest of the players with cameras and pens in friendly riot like fashion. Naturally I was excited to meet him.
Friend and Photographer Jay Clendenin was in the middle of a portrait series on Olympic athletes when he asked me to come to Vegas to help photograph Kobe right before the team would leave for Beijing. Having grown up a basketball fan my entire life and playing in high school (before I got cut) I was going with a great amount of respect. There was nothing I was going to do to portray myself as a loser. I thought.
We drove to a Las Vegas high school where the Olympic team was practicing. You got the feeling it was a secret practice. Friends and family were allowed to attend the practice but not many others were there along with stars of the league. Lebron James, Dwight Howard and Jason Kidd but it was Kobe who commanded the most media attention. Reporters seemed to swarm around him like flies.
Jay and I set up outside of the gym in an adjacent cafeteria. We built two sets. Jay wanted to convey an Olympic theme and had the idea to place a flag over Kobe’s shoulders. We also set up another backdrop for backup…always a great idea in case the first doesn’t work out as planned. We came a few hours early to make sure everything would go smoothly.
Kobe was eventually escorted to the cafeteria and were told 10-15 minutes to shoot.
He walked in the cafeteria. "Wooo." he said referring to the temperature change between the rooms.
Jay and I both smiled, introduced ourselves and shook his hand.
It’s always exciting to meet someone of celebrity status but you always mask it to maintain your professional composure. It turns back into a career.
Jay began shooting Polaroids to test the lighting and make adjustments for his 4×5 camera. I would step in with a digital for digital capture. It was a good flow. We really didn’t say much during the shoot other than adjustments he should make. It was more quiet than other shoots by comparison. Partly because we both had tremendous respect for the subject but also because we were really getting good shots.
We quickly moved to the second setting and began with the same type of flow. Polaroids, digital capture, 4×5.
"You got it?" Kobe said.
We were wrapping up and the gym door opened with one of the entourage telling us the shoot was over.
"Yes sir!" Kobe said as it ended.
He thanked us. We thanked him. Jay first. Then me. That’s when I made myself sound like a loser.
I held out my fist for a fist bump and said, "Bring home the Gold."
"Yes sir!" Kobe said again.
I smiled and laughed as he walked away. I was partly joking but it was partly my inability to filter my thoughts.
Jay walked over. "Ha ha. What did you say…ha ha."
"I said bring home the gold, man. I was getting bored."
Whatever my justifcation was, it wasn’t enough for Jay to let go.
We drove back to Los Angeles and he reminded me hourly, "Bring home the gold baby, ha ha ha!"
A friend called him. "You’ll never guess what Ben said to Kobe, ha ha," he said. "Bring home gold baby!"
A few months later I got a package in the mail from Jay. I smiled when I saw it was a gold T-shirt that says, "Go for the GOLD."
So in honor of the experience I had my friend Annie Pomeranz shoot a portrait to cement the story in history…with the addition of Ugg boots.
Shooting Victim: M. Ward
February 13, 2009 – 9:28 pm
My idea of what celebrities and musicians will be like to collaborate with on a photo shoot is incredibly preconceived. I often base my expectations from their movie characters or television interviews. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, this preconceived idea is almost always wrong. I’m always surprised (except for Woody Allen, he comes as advertised). From Ben Stiller to Beck, I’ve been wrong 100% of the time.
That’s what I love about photographing celebrities. It’s high pressure, sure, but you don’t know how it will come out. The publicist may be a control freak, the make-up artist is aggressive and kills your set direction or the celebrity only wants to look a certain way in every photograph. It’s their right. They have to protect their brand in order to preserve their worth to the public. In any case, it’s always different and that’s what makes it exciting.
M. Ward was no exception. I’d heard of him before the shoot, but I didn’t really know who he was. I had a few songs in my play list but it ended there…so we did a considerable amount of research to get the best idea of his personality. Research is key in portraits.
My assistant and I pulled up to our location and started unloading gear. He was arriving at the same time and I saw him coming towards me down the sidewalk.
"Hello" he said. "I’m Matt."
He reached out a hand.
"Benjamin," I said.
"Have I met you before?" he said.
"No," I smiled. "It’s nice to meet you."
"Do you need help bringing stuff in?" he said.
"No, thank you so much, but my assistant will help me."
He was calm and had a warm personality. He had me at hello…no seriously, he was really easy to work with. I know that was lame but it was the only thing I could think to write. It’s true though.
We walked into our location with the gear. This is the most stressful part for me. It’s like watching a car accident almost happen. You don’t know if the car will swerve out of the way or if you’ll see destruction. You want the best possible environment to work with and you never know what’s on the other side of the door.
The place was great and I had a big smile on my face. I could breathe again. It was a traditional Portland set up with quirky posters and vintage character. We were going to get some good stuff.
My assistant and I were coming up with ideas on how to light it and shuffling through gear when I noticed M. Ward sitting on a couch reading a Credence Clearwater Revival book. That was my shot right there. Scrap the other ideas.
"Matt, I’m going to start shooting you just like that. I really like this scene," I said. "I’d like you to continue what you’re doing and just go with the flow."
"Ok," he said.
He kept reading his book. I had him look up at me a few times. We adjusted some lights and reflectors and kept working with it until I had something good (photo below).
"You’ve been busy with She & Him and now Hold Steady this year," I said.
There’s always and awkward silence I have to break up when I’m shooting…otherwise they just sit and watch. This is where the research helps.
He mentioned his up coming tour and other ventures around the corner.
Photographing musicians is very chill. They get it. They get the artistic vision, they want you to do well and they want to collaborate with you for the most part. It’s great for me because I get to shoot in my cinematic portrait style, which is starting to define my work more and more.
We moved to two other locations before we were finished with the session and I was comfortable with the final shots.
"Can I look?" he said.
I hate this part too. You want people to like your work and it can be difficult to take when you get the….mmmhhhmm.
"That’s good," he said. "Yeah that one’s my favorite." (photo above)
"I’m glad you like it, it was a pleasure working with you."
"We nipped it!" he said.
And that was it. 30 minutes and done.
The Monk
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