A few years ago I moved to LA from Armenia. A few months later I managed to buy my first camera. And I made a decision to become a wedding photographer.(I always loved photography, but never had the chance to choose that route )
As you all know -wedding photos are happy and light, colorful and with less contrast( that's how the brides see and want them to be).
But... I always loved the dramatic look of the renaissance art, the lighting and composition of the paintings, the details and color.
And I had a discussion with my wife about the dramatic style of my portraits. She made a point that nobody needs that dramatic photos, no bride will hire me, no mom will pay me to capture her kid in that "dark style ". And she was partly right. The market is full of that light style photography, and it means that clients need that.
I was in that ugly situation when you have to proof someone that you are and have to be different.
So I made a deal with my wife- if I could capture my 1 year old daughter in that "dark " style so that my wife liked it we were never going to have that discussion about my style and business again.
I had a cheep neweer strobe at the time and a black fabric from a crafting store. And a lot of passion!!! This is how this photo was created.It was one of the first portraits I ever took , and one of those that I am always proud of!!!
How I started my photography journey.
Thanks for posting this, I think it is perfect. Your choices of lighting and props really add to this portrait.
Stick to your style, just because everyone is shooting a certain way does not mean that you have to follow their rules. People will choose a different viewpoint when tired of the same old style.
Thank you Orv. I appreciate your comment!!!