Working with a subject for an environmental portrait

- An environmental portrait is extremely important…because it needs to tell a story about your subject.…So, if a newspaper, or if a magazine wanted…to use the image, just by looking at the image,…without reading anything about it,…the reader can look at that and say, "Wow,…"this person is this type of a person."…Or, "This person has accomplished these different awards."…So, an environmental portrait tells a story…with just one frame.…Let's start shooting.…As I'm shooting, I'm going to show you how I interact…with my subject.…

Ready now.…I like your hands just like that.…Good.…Ready?…Let me get a quick shot.…Get the lights ready.…(shutter clicks)…Good.…(shutter clicks)…Beautiful.…I usually have my subject do a little role-playing…into their head.…And I tell these little back-stories…to put them into the mood,…and to make them start to think.…So instead of them looking down a blank lens,…and just staring straight into space,…they're able to think in their head…about the stories that I'm talking about.…

So instead of thinking about me taking the photos,…