One of the challenges for news photographers shooting portraits is finding in a very brief period of time enough information about the subject to create an evocative image that draws the reader into the story and does more than just show what the subject looks like or how he looks in his environment.
A great news portrait should require the viewer to want to read the accompanying story to get more details about the subject or explain the questions the photo asks. Some photographers insist the photo should be as complete a story as possible, that it should make reading the text redundant.
I agree the photo should perhaps meet that requirement.
It also needs say something about the subject that you won’t see in the story. In a perfect symbiotic relationship, the story and photo needs should overlap, each helping the other complete the telling.
Seeing Wally Carl, owner of OldSkool Skate Shop in Uptown Westerville, standing on a skateboard on the counter of the shop does more to show his personality than the story describing his work and the small, intimate space of his shop.
The magazine article for which this photo was shot described Wally’s path to owning the store in Uptown Westerville beginning with the discovery of a discarded, broken skateboard when he was 12. The story includes his latest efforts, a skateboard competition at the Arnold Sports Festival in March.
What the story doesn’t tell you is Wally is crazy enough to stand on a skateboard in the counter of his shop.
What would you rather know about Wally? That he found a skateboard when he was 12 or that he throws caution to the wind as any good skateboarder would and pose for this photo?
The ordinary thing to do would have been to shoot him standing in front of a wall of skateboards. It would have worked. But it wouldn’t tell you anything about Wally except what he looks like and how the boards are displayed in the shop. Push yourself to know your subject. I was lucky. I know Wally and I knew he would stand on the counter top.
Read the story at the Strobist site about my portrait of Gov. Ted Strickland. Little time, little help, great portrait.
Challenge yourself to challenge the subject. The great result complete a life’s story whether it be your child in sports, your patents in retirement, or how you spent your summer vacation.
