My Portrait Framework: How I create dramatic portraits of strangers

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Here's a simple formula on how I capture dramatic portraits of strangers (and how you can too):

#1 — Shoot at the end of Golden Hour
#2 — Use a softbox with a wireless flash
#3 — Underexpose background (make it darker than the subject)
#4 — Properly light subject with light stand at 45 degrees from subject (aka Rembrandt Lighting)

The hardest part is convincing strangers to let me take their portrait and remembering to bring business cards 🤦🏽‍♂️.Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.