American Photography 36

I was pleased to receive the good news that two of my portraits from last year have been accepted into the prestigious American Photography annual. The one of Elinor Carucci I discussed on my blog here, this post will feature the E. Jean Carroll session.

The shoot was so bountiful that it was difficult to pick one final image. There was one risky decision that made it possible.

The assignment was for Guardian Weekend, out of the UK. They are one of my favorite clients, as they offer access to top subjects, and the photo staff are always generous and appreciative. They are good to me, and I work hard to honor that. 

My assistants and I arrived within a minute of journalist Ed Pilkington. He was scheduled to go first, giving us time to set up a seamless studio in her living room - perfect.

About an hour in they took a break from the interview, and the writer suggested that we do our pictures now, allowing him to then return for more Q&A after. Instead, I suggested that he take his time and go as long as he wanted, promising that we would be patient, and stay out of his way. It was only mid-afternoon, so even if they talked another two hours I’d still have plenty of light for portraits.

However, there was a risk. Jean had been welcoming and enthusiastic, hence my calculation was that her excitement would keep her with us as long as we were engaged, but she could tire out after a long interview, or could her mood could shift, cutting the session short.

I made an in-the-moment decision to move the photo session hours onwards. To me, the worst case scenario was that we’d get a couple of rushed set-ups with a spent sitter, but that didn’t seem much different than what was originally on the table: a quick one-hour shoot with the journalist standing around waiting for us.

As it went, it was fantastic. We did six meaningful set ups, running around her property as the light shifted in the late afternoon. Everyone was engaged and present, making for some rich and nuanced portraits.

Last Image: Behind the scenes photo by Federica Belli