Sheri O'neal Photographer

I have to say I have never been one to get excited about new technology even if I do feel at times I have my geeky moments.  Being a photographer originated for me because I loved the process of being surprised, of spending time in the dark room and the feeling of mastering the craft.  Then along came digital technology.  I fought the computer revolution back in the day, rather than go out right away and buying one I waited as I do with most all new trends until I had no choice.  Digital photography was no different and it came with a very expensive price tag.  It wasn’t about just buying a camera body it was about completely changing my technique of shooting and that became a huge struggle for me at first.  As with any change the un-comfort passes with time, you accept the consequences and you find a way to be happy.

Several years ago the man I was dating at the time decided I should have an iPhone because he felt it would help streamline my business.  That Christmas I received a newly introduced 2nd generation iPhone and things have never been the same since!  I have over time become very attached to my iPhone.  Although I still have not grasped the texting as others have I love having access to my email and a camera at all times.  It is interesting to observe this new lifestyle we all have created that revolves around mobile media.  Our phones have become an extension of who we are from the applications we purchase to the cases we choose.

There are many photographers who have become spokespeople for the iPhone, Chase Jarvis being the biggest.  I have found myself for the first time excited about buying the new Apple iPhone that is supposed to be released sometime this summer. My primary reason (as goofy as this sounds) is for the camera.  The 2nd generation falls short in that department and I get really frustrated at times with the flat, soft images it takes.  Last weekend I compared side by side the photo quality from my 2nd generation phone with a 3rd generation phone and the results were amazing.  Although the quality will never be as that of my primary gear the accessibility to snap a shot of decent quality when I see something photo worthy is what matters.

Where I stand professionally at this moment is in a wind of change.  Not only with my iPhone interest but with my life as a professional photographer.  Things are different in that world and I realize I must choose to be different as well. I am changing my vision and my marketing area for the kind of work I want to do to continue being a commercial photographer in this day and age.  I won’t lie it is scary and I have no idea what this new market is about, it is as if I have once again entered the education system for a new career direction.  I have heard it said that as photographers we must reinvent ourselves every 5-7 years.  My last reinvent was going digital, now it is changing my marketing focus to coincide with how technology  has changed the industry.  Although I believe the economy has some consequence to this shift I believe as a photographer it has more to do with the technology.

With this change I will continue to snap away with my iPhone and when I purchase the new phone I will have the option to shoot video.  Perhaps these fun toys of creativity will inspire other things in my professional career I have not thought of before.  What ever the case stay tuned, I will be sharing with you all and I am sure it will be an interesting ride.  These new tools have opened me up as a storyteller and I am excited!

PS

Below and the photos above were taken with my 2nd generation iPhone, treaked only a little in photoshop mostly to bump up the contrast and color saturation.

Sometimes the night before a photo shoot I look through image samples and try to visualize ideas that incorporate lighting and composition. Many times, depending on the assignment, it is difficult because there is no real knowledge of what a location will offer, what my subject will look like, what wardrobe they will bring or what the personality will be of the person I am shooting. The process of shooting an assignment is one that will eventually drain me of my energy but only after it is complete and has my final approval. I start visualizing in my mind what kind of lighting I want to use and what items I might be able to incorporate into the shot. If I am shooting in the studio many times I will go early or the night before and play with lighting ideas before hand so I have a better direction of what I plan to do. I never have a true sense of where I will end up, and it never ends where it starts . Part of the art of photography is not completely knowing what will happen.

In the beginning of a shoot there is a nervousness. I wonder how the person I am about to photograph feels around me and how I will interact with this person so that they will relax and trust me. How will I connect and find things to keep their mind busy so they are not focusing on the camera. I feel uncomfortable in my skin. I feel a bit uneasy and anxious and I know that they are feeling the same. I always start early before the subject arrives. When they get to the shoot things begin to get busy with makeup, wardrobe, ideas and questions pertaining to what the subject is expecting the images to look like. Many times they have no ideas and trust me to come up with something, other times they know exactly what they want and I have to determine what that is through their words. I interact with the subject as much as possible to put them at ease, if there is a makeup artist it helps because they take some of the pressure off of me while they converse with the subject as they are working. I let them interact while I take everything in and figure out what works visually. Now that I have a direction, know the clothes that will be worn and how the the subject looks I can begin to create a story with imagery and light. I make sure to connect with the subject giving them ideas and seeing if I am going in the right direction by asking lots of questions. I always ask them in advance to bring images with them that they like so that I can figure out what they are hoping to see. I watch them from a distance and pre-think what I believe works with their skin color, eye color, hair color and the way that they carry themselves. Their body language always gives me a starting point and a million thoughts rush through my head. I think about light ratios, aperture settings, white balance, angles and color schemes in regard to how I want the overall image to look and feel.

I have never though of photography as just creating an image but rather a process of creating an image that portrays some feeling of emotion. The beauty of photographing people is that everything in the shot makes up the story but it is in the eyes where the truth of the image will be told. Subconsciously we all look into the eyes of people both in real life and in art. For me there always seems to be a confusion in my own mind as I am putting all the elements together. Often I get quiet in thought and have to force myself to say something in order to keep the subject engaged. It is so much easier on me if I have a good makeup artist, assistant or art director that can keep a dialog going with the subject while I am contemplating my creation. As the shoot begins I pay attention to highlights, shadows, composition, hair, clothes, image placement, an so many other things…thoughts running through my mind a hundred miles an hour.

As I begin it is almost overwhelming as I try to find that place where “it” happens. A photo shoot is the process of creation, it is spontaneous and in the beginning it is always unclear what will need to happen in order to make the image take on a story of its own. It has to play out and unfold with constant nurturing and change. I am always thinking, pushing, changing, talking and tweaking. The uncomfortableness slowly begins to fade, a rush of energy begins to grow within me as I move forward and become excited the closer I get to the place I feel I need to be.

Years of this type of experience helps me to get better with my craft. I realize how to push myself and the subject to a point where in a split moment out of nowhere it happens. I know when it happens, I get a feeling that overwhelms me and I know I am there. I can’t explain it other than to say it is a combination of experience, visual realization and emotion. The “it” is when I get the one shot I know will be the one I want to use. For what ever reason it speaks to me. In the end that image I felt happen may not be the image that the subject picks but it is almost always the one that I feel is the hero.

Within my self it is a wonderful feeling to have a library of images I have created over the years. I am not just a photographer, I am a story teller and I love the opportunity to share. I am grateful for the opportunity to capture beauty with a single click which can stop a moment in time that will never again be. It is such a gift to be able to share that with others because it is not about me or my image, it is about the person staring back at the viewer as a story evolves from the emotion within their eyes…the windows to the soul. It is history and it always reflects life in a time that once was.