The Patience of Portraits
What I've learned from a decade of photographing strangers—the art of connection, patience, and finding the authentic moment.
A portrait is not taken. It is given.
This simple truth took me years to understand. In my early days, I approached portrait photography like a hunter—seeking out interesting faces, capturing quick shots, moving on. I had technique but no depth.
The Art of Waiting
The best portraits I've ever created came after the camera was almost forgotten. After the initial awkwardness dissolved. After the person before my lens stopped performing and started being.
There's a moment—you'll know it when you feel it—when the energy shifts. The subject's eyes soften. Their shoulders drop. They're no longer thinking about how they look; they're simply existing.
That's when I press the shutter.
Building Trust
Before any portrait session, I talk. Not about photography, but about life. About their passions, their fears, their stories. I share pieces of my own journey.
This isn't technique. It's genuine human connection. And it cannot be faked.
"The camera sees more than the eye, so why not make use of it?" — Edward Weston
The Eyes Tell Everything
When reviewing thousands of portraits, one truth emerges: the eyes carry the entire weight of an image. Technical perfection means nothing if the eyes are empty. But even a slightly soft focus becomes irrelevant when those eyes hold genuine emotion.
I've learned to focus not on the eyes themselves, but on what's behind them. On the thoughts, memories, and feelings that surface in that moment of connection.
Embracing Imperfection
Some of my most treasured portraits are technically "flawed." A slight motion blur as the subject laughed unexpectedly. An accidental shadow that somehow enhanced the mood. A lens flare that felt like divine intervention.
Perfection is the enemy of authenticity.
To Young Photographers
Put down your camera more often. Learn to see people, not subjects. Develop your capacity for empathy as vigorously as you develop your technical skills.
The best portrait isn't about lighting or composition. It's about one human truly seeing another.