The "Yes" Moment

One of the things I love about my job is the thrill of seeing an image I captured of a person in front of my camera when my gut says YES!!!! It’s a combination of lighting, head/body position, but most of all expression – capturing that moment in time when it all comes together and the image just draws you in and you see the best of the person I’m shooting.

I met Diane just before Covid lockdown when my wife and I were looking to adopt a rescue dog – Diane volunteers at Last Hope K9 rescue and she came over to interview us as a potential home for one of their dogs. We immediately realized we shared something in common – a love for photography and have created a business out of that passion. We’ve become friends and so when she asked if I could work with her to update her headshot, I was eager to help.

We shot a number of images, but this one immediately caught my eye – she’s a natural in front of the camera and we had a blast! Her expression draws me in – a combination of approachability, confidence and the right amount of energy. Confidence comes largely from a person’s eyes, approachability from the person’s mouth/smile. The background and lighting work well together – she “pops” out from the screen, and her clothing doesn’t distract the viewer from her face.

This shot came early in the session – we subsequently shot different angles, clothing, expressions, and looks. But we kept coming back to this one (and a few similar to it) – and my gut still says YES!!!