I met with Millie on a Monday night in New York City. Millie is a vivacious professional singer with a warm personality that makes you feel you’ve known her for a long time. Visiting NYC on a weeknight is nothing less than exciting; people come and go in all directions with their minds set on the next target. I, on the other hand, stand on the side with those who walk slow finding potential for a great picture around every corner.
After trying to find the best time to shoot, I was glad when our schedule aligned on a Monday evening. Despite planning to work with external flash to minimize camera shake, I made a conscious decision to exclude the flash; instead, I shot with a slower shutter speed to avoid harsh shadows that would convey the idea of artificial light. However, dim ambient light makes it extremely difficult to focus. On the first sequence of pictures, Millie’s charm and engagement pushed me to be more reactive with the camera. It wasn’t until later on when we arrived in Times Square that I was able to increase my shutter speed by at least three stops. Sometimes, taking a picture has very little to do with getting it perfect. Life isn’t perfect, then why should an image?
The more I dive into portraiture, the more I realize a perfect picture is not always a technical decision. Obviously, (I insist) there are exceptions. Still, if you’re in the process of learning and working on a budget without access to the latest technology, you begin to realize that taking creative compromises is liberating just as is rewarding. You can find Millie on Stotify and instagram in the links below.
