Day 26 - Project 365

"Creative People Don't Have to Shave!"

26 Days Down, 339 to go! My friend Anthony's family portraits arrived several days ago, and today was the first chance I had where we were both available. I decided to deliver them to him while he was in the office. I always enjoy visiting the SouthFloridaDines.com Gang and figure why not make it official and use Anthony as Day 26. I had texted him asking him if he still had his grizzly beard growing. He returned with "I haven't shaved in months". We have that in common. After getting the thumbs up I loaded up the car with what gear I did have, and made my way to my brother Shawn's job and collected the remainder of the necessary gear from my car which Shawn uses when I have no where to be.

I was talking to a client on the phone, due to my total inability to multitask I barely said a word to Shawn as I collected 2 C-stands, a sandbag and a softbox from the trunk of the car. In the middle of talking to the client the hands free set got caught on my c-stand and I ripped them out of my ears. Lets just say that never feels good!

Anthony isn't afraid to get a little goofy when it comes time to snap the shots. He plays it up for the camera as I snap away shot after shot. At times I feel like one of those cliche 70's fashion photographer "yes yes yes, more anger, give me your eyes, oh yes thats it" I crack myself up when I catch myself doing that. Its even gotten to the point that my close friends can imitate me shooting. Its hilarious that they nail the impression. I try to have fun and keep things light whenever I'm shooting. Anthony got some pretty good shots, some goofy ones, a few creepy ones and the winning shot which there just wasn't a question that this was day 26. The deep stare that burns a hole through the lens. The intensity that he turns on for that split second between shutter opening and closing. Only to return to the care free character he is normally. Just as we finish Ansar walks in and says "Steve's here". Now, Steve is the boss and you'd normally say "oh shit!" however, Steve has mellowed out over the years. A testament to that was the remark he shouted as he entered the room. We couldn't see him as we were in the back editing room, so all we hear is his voice. "no one told me we were having a taco party". I didn't know whether to take that as a sexual joke or a mexican cuisine joke. Either way it was funny. Its always good to see old friends.

Today's title came out of a quick joking conversation anthony and I had about how creative people can get away with not shaving or being clean cut. Its funny that the more established you get and more well known you are the less you have to try to impress people. Don't get me wrong, I like to clean up, throw on a suit and turn heads. But I also like that my work can speak for itself. I wont let it go so far that I get mistaken for a bum but a few more inches should't hurt. Even though, my parents look at my beard and make remarks like, "How long you gonna keep that going" or "did you forget what a razor is?". I'm just hoping someone publishes my work soon or I might just find out just how much gray hair I have in my beard! For the record (Ange), on day 23, my beard isn't that gray. Its merely the bi-product of the processing technique I used.

Day 26 didn't need elaborate setup or advanced editing. No, all day 26 needed was a single light and an intense stare.

Lighting:

AB800 Beauty Dish Boomed over head approx. 2 feet from subjects head. Dish was tilted toward subject set at 1/8th power.