The beauty of portrait photography is that it is as diverse as its subjects and often takes its cues from traditional paintings. One photographer who has found such inspiration is Alex Huff who is today’s guest on “3 Minutes with…” .
Describe your photography in 100 words or less
My photography style strives to depict simple beauty with some influence from Dutch Golden Age paintings. The purpose of this particular collection is to showcase individual tattoos in the same frame as the objects and subjects they are designed after. This has allowed my models to revisit symbols that influenced them to get their ink in the first place. My goal is to photograph tattoos in a way that is true to their natural colors and gives them the same life and depth as the items they represent. I describe this process as my “tattoography”.
What gear/software do you use?
I use the Nikon D800 DSLR, 24-70mm f/2.8 & 85mm f/1.4 lenses, Elinchrom D-Lite monoheads, and SB-910 flashguns. My favorite modifiers are the Elinchrom 39″ Deep OctaBox, the Photoflex Extra Small OctoDome with eggcrate, and the Westcott 7′ parabolic umbrella. I edit almost entirely in Adobe Lightroom.
What’s one quick tip that you’d give people interested portraiture photography?
My quick tip to portrait photographers would be to constantly reassure your model, especially while “chimping” or checking your monitor. As an occasional model myself, I understand how discouraging it is to witness a quiet, grimacing photographer behind the lens. Keep it lively, even if you are panicking inside. I also highly recommend letting models see their images halfway through a shoot and don’t be afraid to take their suggestions.
What three photography sites or photo blogs do you recommend?
Strobist – this blog always reminds me that lighting is creative and doesn’t have to be complicated.
Juxtapoz – they tend to feature a lot of tattoo photography which helps me keep up with how other people approach that subject.
The Unprofessional Photographer – This is my unconventional go-to. Sometimes you just gotta laugh. (Editor’s note: warning may contain crude or x-rated content, visit at your own risk!)
To view more of Alex Huff’s photography visit her web site: alexandriahuff.com
