Back in college, I used to promote music groups, so when Mike Posner was an up-and-coming artist touring campuses, I not only ended up promoting his tour, but quickly I became a huge fan. Songs like "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" and "Cooler Than Me" were basically the soundtrack to my college years.
After moving to Los Angeles, I had the chance to interview him about his upcoming "Walk Across America"—a journey he was about to embark on despite injuring his foot just beforehand. With music somewhat in the rearview, he was setting out on a new path, both literally and personally. It was inspiring to see, especially after he shared how toxic the music scene had become for him.
I shot this photo with a Canon 5D Mark III.
One of the main challenges was that the space under the desk was cluttered with cables and gear. I originally wanted to highlight his injured foot, since it symbolized the physical and emotional hurdles ahead of him. But ultimately, due to the messy background, I chose to shift focus away from that detail.
Shooting him from such a high angle makes him look small and less significant than the equipment behind him. To avoid the cables, you could have crouched down and shot him from an upward angle. This would give him a stronger presence as the main subject of your portrait, while still keeping his environment in the scene.