In the course of our work, we get all sorts of assignments. Some stories are sensational by nature while the majority may be somewhat mundane or down-to-earth. Often, a catchy headline alone might not be enough to draw readers into a story and a striking photo may just determine whether the article is read or simply passed over. I was called upon to do a feature shoot on a 45 year old lawyer who takes part in marathons to raise funds for the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. Not only should he be lauded for his compassionate efforts for charity, the fact that he is running despite being both flatfooted and asthmatic makes it all the more commendable.
The interview was conducted in his office at Standard Chartered building, afterwhich we headed outside along boat quay for the photoshoot. I felt that a normal portrait of him wouldn’t do him justice and sought to find a way to protray the magnanimity of his actions and to render him somewhat larger than life.
I decided to frame him against the outline of his office building. The afternoon sun shining through a crack between the office towers created a flare effect in the shot that helped to suggest an air of “divinity”. All that was need was for me to position an off-camera flash to highlight his face and yet give a certain degree of sculpting to his features. This I managed to achieve with a borrowed flash from ST photog Bryan who was also around for the interview.
And this is the resulting image, I hope it works for you guys.
Best Feature Photo for the month of December, SPH Chinese Newspapers Division.
