Portraits On The Fly — Madeline Dettweiler

*The light is coming through partly closed blinds, softening the harsh midday sun*

In my mind, portraiture has always had one distinct advantage over every other sort of photography. Control. Unfortunately, strangers minding their own business downtown aren’t always very mindful of where the interesting light is. As a portrait photographer, you choose the location, you light the scene, you direct the model. Except, sometimes, often even, you don’t get any of that. For this shoot, I was shooting in a home I was largely unfamiliar with, had foolishly decided that I didn’t need my own lighting, and was working with my aunt and uncle, who are not professional models. So how on earth do I get photographs both them and I are happy with? I try my hardest and see what happens.

*The harsh lighting creates sharp lines, giving the photo a moodier dramatic feel*

A habit from street photography, the first thing I look for whenever I’m in a new environment is light. At least to me, its by far the most important part of a photograph. If you have a great idea, but the light can’t support it, everything falls apart. That’s why a lot of photographers love shooting during golden hour, when the sunlight is softened and glowing, making almost every picture you take look amazing. I did not shoot during golden hour here. Often you can’t, due to scheduling conflicts, client availability, or being too sleepy. These photos were taken around 2 pm in harsh New Mexico sunlight, and while that sort of lighting is not traditionally used for portraits, it does serve to give me some direction. The nice thing about harsher light is that it gives very clean lines, allowing you to use the light almost as another framing device. Sharp lines also lend themselves well to drama, and I really leaned into that here.