Portrait | Katie Koval
Presenting this amazing dancer who is never separated from her dog!
There are two things important in Katie’s life — dancing and Rosie, her dog. People with their passions often look the best in front of the camera, so since I’m trying to look out for the beautiful, our portrait session naturally revolved around these two elements.
First stop was the dance studio in Chelsea, Michigan. Never once had I seen an open-concept studio (no walls, only one side with angled, two-panel mirror) and it certainly posed enough challenges with composition and lighting. Getting myself out of the photo was tough and increasingly frustrating as almost every nook and cranny was inescapable, especially shooting at a wide angle, which you can see was done with some of the shots, such as the black & white image.
The solution: shoot long. That got me out of the way, though very limited in creativity. Having a variety of shots is important. It wouldn’t have been personally gratifying if I only stuck to one look for the entire session.
After a quickie half-hour in the studio (we had arrived late, and it was closing), we took to nearby fields to get some outdoor shots with her dog, Rosie. It was my first time doing an animal portrait, and having never owned a dog, didn’t really know how to interact with it or get its attention. Don’t get me wrong – I do love dogs – but when I’m so flummoxed with the photography side, it’s hard to jump into the playground with Rosie.
But Katie helped, trying to get her head turned towards the camera. Needless to say, I shot a lot to even up the chances. Getting the lens up close was something different I wanted to try. I propped the camera up on a tripod and used a remote release. If I had glued my eye to the camera, Rosie would probably never have gotten that close to the lens (which was maybe a few inches away).
Although the day started slow, I’m happy with some of the results. I shot a lot that day, more than I usually do for a portrait session, but it was necessary given the circumstances. Please check out the gallery below, and do leave a comment!
