Recess Self Portrait Studio
Studio Photographer, Studio Photography Consultant.
How can I, as a photographer, ensure a photo is correctly exposed when I am not in the same room as the camera? Recess Self Portrait Studio approached me with this challenge in 2023. At first, the idea of a self portrait studio felt slightly antithetical to my values as a photographer and creative; will this business model eliminate the need for photographers when seeking professional photos?
I remained open minded when working with Recess to launch their flagship location in Hamilton, Ontario. What I found was that my ability to be creative as a photographer was tested in ways that I didn’t previously think was possible. While consulting for the studio, I had to preemptively anticipate all potential challenges that could occur within the self contained studios: how can I balance the fixed exposure settings on the cameras to ensure that each photo looks consistent across variations in skin tone, group size and even species? How do I ensure the lights, camera, computer, screens and remote shutter are all operating symbiotically while maintaining an easy and fun experience for customers?
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Pet Portrait Pop-up, photographed for Recess Studios.
I worked closely with Recess’ leadership to solve challenges such as these to deliver high quality photos to their diverse client base. The longer I consulted with Recess, the more I came to appreciate that perhaps the greatest inhibition or barrier for some to feel comfortable having their photo taken was having a photographer present. Moving forward with this understanding, I felt a responsibility to ensure that, despite not being present, my creative thinking and technical problem solving came across in each photo.
Once we found success in addressing evolving technical challenges, Recess Studio provided an opportunity for patrons to feel comfortable in front of a camera and to feel uninhibited by a stranger in the room to express themselves creatively.
Displayed:
Self-portraits photographed on-site by individual subjects.