Storytelling through Unconventional Portraiture

Discover the challenges and creative opportunities behind telling a story with a mix of environmental and backdrop portraits.

Introduction

• Welcome
• Scouting the location for the portraits of performers

1. Photographing Clowns and Unicyclists

• Documenting clowns preparing for an act
• Posing and documenting the clowns in character
• Setting up and photographing unicyclists
• Posing portraits with the unicyclists
• Sequencing the portraits and picking selects

2. Building the Portrait Story with the Performers

• Photographing a performer in a rehearsal space
• Documenting a performer with costume as emphasis
• Photographing an aerial performer as an athlete
• Photographing a trapeze artist, posed and candid
• Taking the iconic portrait of a ringmaster

3. Wrapping Up the Shoot with a Gymnast Portrait

• Shooting the first portraits of the gymnast
• Photographing a gymnast in the performance environment
• Sequencing and picking selects from the portrait shoot

4. Bonus Portrait Session with Knife Throwers

• Shooting portraits of a knife-throwing couple
• Reviewing the finale, all the best portraits of the circus performers