PHOTOGRAPHER: Darius Bashar
MODEL: Verne Ho
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT:
Verne is an old friend and a super talented photographer. He's work is mesmerizing and also very foreign to me, as it mostly focuses on architecture. I've tried several times to find inspiration through architectural photography, but just never really felt it. So the way this photo session came to be, was that Verne agreed to take me out through the city, during one of his photography adventure, so that I could see him in action. In exchange I would bring him into my studio and show him how studio photography works (or at least how I approach it). I think we both really enjoyed getting a glimpse of another approach to photography. It was a real treat for me to walk Verne through all my lights and my setup.
ONE LESSON FROM THIS SHOOT:
I'm not interested in your default smile. We all have them. It's our go-to smile, that we adopted years ago, maybe decades. They can be nice, they can be handsome and pretty, but by nature they are common and safe. Your facebook page probably has many examples of your default smile. Mine definitely does. There is nothing wrong with a default smile, they come in handy a lot of the time - I'm just not that interested in them. I am interested in looks and poses that instantly make me think "what's that person thinking?" or "where are they in their mind?" When your eyes pull me in to your photo, or your glance engages my imagination and forces me to figure out "your story" - Those are the photos that most interest me.