How to Learn More About People Through Photography

We never really know what’s going on inside someone’s head or heart. When I created the portrait “They Have No Idea,” I thought I knew about my subject’s life, but I later learned there is always so much more going on.

© *Olivia Ogren-Hrejsa* – PPA Image Excellence Collection titled – “They Have No Idea”

It started innocently. My subject and I were friendly acquaintances who first met through networking. In March of 2022, I was becoming more serious about image competition, so I asked my striking new friend if she would model for me. She reluctantly agreed. Neither of us knew how this portrait session would deepen our friendship or how far the image we created together would go.

No one knew that my friend was privately struggling. After moving across the country to launch her business, she was still finding her place in a new city. Simultaneously, she was grieving a parent thousands of miles away from her family. The weight of her grief was pulling her into a dark place, and she had little support around her. But the outside world only saw a smiling and confident business-minded entrepreneur. She wore her mask well.

I understand how vulnerable someone can feel when being stared down by a camera, so I am very protective of the energy on my sets. My goal is to develop a connection with my subjects, allowing them to feel safe and seen. I am grateful that my friend felt secure and trusted me to guide her through her session. We still laugh about how I shook out her hands to relax her posture and how meticulously I posed her, moving her fingers by millimeters and guiding her gaze with my words.

While I am thrilled that this image earned Texas PPA’s “Texcellence” and “Distinguish Image – Portrait of a Woman” awards, was recognized with Image Excellence by PPA, and was published in two image award books, I am far more grateful that my friend and I have developed a strong friendship. Our time in the studio and subsequent in-depth conversations have given us a trusted foundation, allowing us to turn to one another for honest advice.

We may not know about someone else’s private struggles, but when we open up to one another, we discover that it is easier to overcome challenges together.

The Set

Three lights were used in this studio set-up. A beauty dish mounted on a C-stand was placed in front of the subject, slightly to the camera’s left. To serve as a fill light, a strip box was set up to the left of the beauty dish, 30 degrees in front of the subject. The second strip box was placed at a 45-degree angle behind the subject on the right to create dimension. V-flats were used to create the black background.

The subject was seated backward on a stool with a short back where she could rest her elbows. Light retouching on the skin and fabric was performed in Photoshop, as was removing the seams from the V-flats.