Dylan Boyd Photography

Come Closer

Portraits are fascinating. Some of my favorites are the brightly lighted close-ups of Martin Schoeller. There are no props, no costumes and are framed so that literally all you can discern are the features of the subjects face. I find them breathtakingly intimate.

I also like the opposite of this style - natural lighting, and distance subjects, but framed and edited so that the face is still the lone focus, though the viewer has to work for it a little.

I'm including four examples here of the Taylor family, who are proving to be exceptionally photogenic. If you know them, I think you'll see an essential element of each person in their portrait here - the sense of adventure in one, the wildness of another, the introversion, the fierce seeking of connection. In fact, the more I look at them, the more of their essential qualities I notice - the combination observer/participant, the periodic insecurity, the loner who still sticks out, the intensity combined with caution.

I dunno - maybe that's all just me overthinking things, seeing what I want or imagine. Either way, I think contextualized found portraits are fun when I come across them in my photo roll. I just wish they showed up better on mobile screens....

Modern humans are always DOING something, especially when they notice a camera pointed at them.

Don't fall for this trap.

Mindful photographers are seeking to capture LIGHT and MOOD, not just action. I talk about this a bit in a recent post here:
https://www.dylanboydphotography.com/blog/the-weight-of-smoke/

No time to read a few paragraphs? I get it. The point is this - you don't have to plan or do anything exciting for there to be a meaningful photo waiting in your midst. In fact the quiet moments are going to be really special to remember if you can manage to grab an image of one to save for later.