So many photoshoots need some hard work to get them just right, so it's such a joy when you have one where everything just works.
After doing a few product shots recently that were aiming for a pristine, flawless aesthetic (and dealing with troublesome reflections), it was refreshing to shoot some author portraits for Jordan King-Lacroix.
This was an exciting shoot as Jordan needed the photos for the book he wrote with Paul Fenech, UGLY: A Bikie's Tale, which is published through none other than Penguin Random House. While I have a lot of books in my collection, this was the first time I've contributed something that's going in a book.
We kept things super simple: just my Canon 5D + 24-70mm lens, a trusty reflector, and our old mate The Sun.
Sometimes the best results come from not overcomplicating the setup, something I occasionally need to remind myself 😅
The focus was on capturing Jordan as he is: thoughtful, sharp, and full of quiet intensity (except for when he's up on stage for The Limited, then it's loud intensity).
What made this shoot special was the ease of it all - Jordan was a dream to photograph. There's almost always an awkwardness that comes when you're the camera's sole focus, but in no time Jordan was comfortable, open, and down to play with movement and angles.
I originally envisioned the shoot to be in black & white, but since Jordan is such a colourful character I shot full colour so we'd have the option either way.
As we needed something that was both neutral enough to feel professional but dynamic and interesting enough to be good, it took a bit of looking to find the right background. The brick wall worked as it gave some good warm tones if we went with colour, but also rich texture and subtle contrast if we opted for black & white.
Add in Jordan's dashing smile to the mix and it was hard to take a bad photo 🤩
These portraits are now featured on his official Penguin Random House profile, which is a pretty great feeling. There’s something really satisfying about seeing your work attached to a published author, big thanks to Jordan for trusting me with the gig.
Looking forward to seeing where his writing takes him next.
Here are a few of my favorite shots from the session. Which do you prefer; colour or black & white?
