Portrait Session: Mari de Monte

I have some pretty nice friends, perhaps the best. It's true, really. Case in point: On my recent trip to New York and back I asked several friends to allow me to make their portraits and not one of them declined. And honestly, I don't remember any of them protesting the notion more than "Me? Are you sure?" if they objected at all. My good friend Mari agreed to sit for a session with me the day after I got to Brooklyn. These are the images that we made:









Now, if you're a nerd like me, you might like to know that I shot this session, and the next three sessions that I'll be posting over the next week, with a new toy. I ventured to the B&H store in Manhattan to stare in wonder and then to eventually buy this Lastolite Easybox Hotshoe 24" speedlight softbox. It's a mouthful of a name but it's a wonderful little accessory for off-camera, small flash photography. First saw one in action while in Montana for school when my buddy Thomas picked one up. I was envious ever since and have just now caved and bought one. For me at least, it is well worth owning one. I shoot a lot with speedlights and up till now was making do with umbrellas for portrait scenarios. This light modifier has already become my staple for enlarging and softening my light, especially when lighting people. My only gripe with it was that in order to use it with an umbrella adapter/moveable angle adapter you need a double spigot - envision a double sided threaded bit at the business end of a lightstand - which would be a nice include in their kit, even if they bump the price of the kit $5. Basically if you want to angle this thing at all other than 90 degrees using a straight stand, you need one.

Check back for the next installment of Portrait Session in a few days. If I'm feeling artsy-fartsy I may draw up a basic lighting diagram for how most of these sessions went. Be warned though, it really is pretty basic, both in technique and in my ability to draw.