8.05.2019

I always imagine that I took this photograph in a studio in the 1950's after having looked at a book of Irving Penn photographs...

 But it was part of a series of images that were done for an international financial services company. This portrait session was done on the 17th floor of a decidedly modern office building in a prosperous part of Dallas, Texas.

My assistant and I were in the middle of a large open plan office and we took over part of it to set up our thick, canvas background and a 4x6 foot softbox powered by a Norman 2000 W/S flash system.
I used a Hasselblad ELX camera to make the exposure onto Agfapan APX 100 black and white film. The final "deliverable" was a double weight fiber print printed on Ilford Gallerie and toned.

The work was slower and more measured than the pace we keep now. It's with a certain twinge of nostalgia that I remember days when we were consumed with making portraits in the most unusual places, and with lots of time provided in order to find just the right composition, and just the right look. The assignment was circa 1988.

We didn't use no 'stinkin' fill light back then..... Not on that assignment.

8 comments:

Bruce Bodine said...

Kirk,

How do you remember all the details of the numerous projects you have done?

Bruce

Kirk, Photographer/Writer said...

Ha. Ha. I have a photographic memory for shoot details. At least I imagine that I do. I also keep notebooks of the more complex shooting solutions.

D Lobato said...

Is the right side blank for text or corporate graphics?

Kirk, Photographer/Writer said...

No. I liked it that way. They had other choices, this was my choice.

Eric Rose said...

I wonder where that bright eyed captain of industry is today? That would be an interesting retirement project. Interview and re-photograph some of the noteables and not so noteables whose image you captured in their prime. Maybe even try to utilize the same lighting and poses.

Eric

Unknown said...

That watch, so prominently displayed, the show-off cuff links , the cuffs pulled out too far and the large ring tell a hidden story. But the tie is fine.

Neil Swanson said...

I like that crop and could see myself doing the same thing. Chances are I did at some point only to find the client then made it 8x10 cuz the is all they can muster in the wisdom. I used to sometimes make an image upside down on my easel in the darkroom and then do a crop (if needed) as if I were composing with a view camera. It did mean that out in the real world I'd try new compositions. There isn't a B&W photo on my walls I can't tell you the camera, lens, exposure and film for. I wish my mind held onto other info as well.

kodachromeguy@bellsouth.net said...

Wow, nice portrait. I love these genuine film examples you are occasionally showing us. You used the square frame effectively.