One day early on in my career I assisted a photographer who was making portraits of marathon runners for a national sports magazine. We stalked the finish line for interesting-looking athletes and asked their permission to shoot immediately after they’d crossed. The exhausted runners posed with sweat still glistening on their bodies which made for some gritty, striking portraits.
The photographer wanted to avoid a distracting background. As the assistant, willing to do whatever was needed, this meant I became an instant backdrop stand. With my arms outstretched to their maximum, holding up a black double bed sheet behind the runners, and fighting a breeze while trying to keep the sheet flat, I felt like a ridiculous scarecrow. The photographer quickly made the portraits.
Being prepared for all the different photo shoots that come my way is a challenge, just as it is for many photographers. I never know if I’ll be asked to make a portrait of a single person, a family of four, or a pet. On the other hand I’ve been asked to shoot a motorcycle, a small automotive part that measures less than 2 inches square, and a pair of snow skis. Obviously that’s a wide range of sizes and shapes!