Through the Lens: How a Simple Portrait Can Tell a Story

This past week has been full of sunrises, long days, and meeting tons of new people. I’m thankful for the work that has been put in front of me but these long days can take a toll on me. However, I’ve found ways to make it well worth getting up in the morning.

While on set I was able to absorb knowledge about film and street photography from someone who has been in the business for pretty much their entire life. This was the kind of knowledge you couldn’t find on Youtube or in a textbook—wisdom only gained through real conversations and shared experiences. For instance, taking a fresh approach to your subject, experimenting with different angles, and keeping detailed logs for personal reference. One thing he had said was if you want to do street photography and shoot portraits, you have to learn to be charismatic, having the ability to engage people to and ask for their picture and getting them to smile and appear candid. Insights like this led me to connect with a man named Eli.

I was blessed with the opportunity to be out in the beautiful city of Austin and while on set I had seen someone who caught my eye. A truck driver with a vibrant coral shirt that popped against his weathered denim overalls, and a cowboy hat tilted just so—he was hard to miss. The second I had seen him I knew I wanted to get a photo. At first, I was constantly talking myself out of asking but with timing on my side, just as we were wrapping he was finishing up his task, I made my way to ask him and to my surprise he was STOKED about it.

Eli was his name and in his 25 years of driving trucks, he’s traveled the country and seen countless incredible things. Though he spends most of his days driving trucks, Eli told me he like to ride his bike to work when he can—something he loves about living in the city. As I snapped a couple of pictures you can tell how excited he was to be in front of the camera. His smile was one of the nicest you could lay your eyes on, completely contagious.

Before approaching him, I adjusted my settings for a shallow depth of field, increased my shutter speed, and kept my ISO low to prevent the sky from blowing out. For only using natural light and overexposing a little in camera I was able to pull out a lot of detail from not only his facial features but all the textures surrounding him. My only criticism of this piece was how over exposed the sky still was and how much of a glare I was getting on his glasses. Next time I’ll make sure to have an ND filter with me, along side being more aware of glare when shooting someone with glasses. There wasn’t much else I could do, given the limited gear and time I had. Other than that I am so appreciative of Eli’s enthusiasm and allowing me to take his picture. This reminded me why I love photography—it’s not just about capturing an image but connecting with someone else’s story, even if just for a moment.