For our latest assignment with the monthly Checking Focus photography group led by Chris Buck, we were asked to shoot a portrait as a still life object. This was a tricky one- how do I photograph someone like a bowl of fruit and keep the image full of life?

What I learned is that it was mostly about the psychological approach behind conducting a session. By removing the pressure of engaging with the subject through small talk or deference, there’s less friction getting to the work itself.

This was particularly helpful while I muttered to myself trying to get the lighting right, or when I asked Victoria to lie on a pile of storage boxes in her basement for quite some time. We even tried a few shots with her rolled up in a rug like a hot dog. The experiment worked, she was willing and comfortable enough in her own space for me to find my creative flow.