Miriam's portraits
The person
"I don't want smiley photos, that's just not who I am" are Miriam's words as soon as we start talking about how to approach the shoot. Because I've known Miriam for years as a positive, intelligent person determined to make a difference in the world, I was a bit surprised at first. But then I remembered her warm and gentle nature coexists with a strong personality and values.
The story to tell
I soon realised that the goal of this shoot was to show the different sides of Miriam's multifaceted personality. Miriam wanted these portraits for both professional reasons (she's embarking on a business venture) and personal purposes. To do so, I had to make those traits come to the surface so I could capture them in the setting and with the light that best expressed them.
My approach
I asked Miriam to tell me some stories of times when those personality traits clearly came out in the past (like a trip in the Australian outback for example). By doing so, Miriam was able to re-live those moments and transport me there, so that I could try and capture her emotions in replay. It was great to see how, by focusing on the stories, she completely forgot about the camera and opened up. We shot her confident, assertive side indoors with studio lights, while we let her optimistic and warm side out in the open with natural light.
Miriam's photos have been added to the portrait gallery of the website.
Francesco Solfrini Photography - Portraits