Creating Fine Art Portraits: A Look at the Creative Process of a High-End Luxury Portrait Photographer
I have been a creator for as long as I can remember and have been working as a professional creative for the better part of my working life. Over the past 18 years, I have worked in fashion design and development, footwear design, and photography.
No matter what I am creating I have learned that my creative process is always the same and it is terrifying. But acknowledging that and knowing my process is half the battle. And like any good exposure therapy, it gets easier every time I do it.
Each portrait project goes a little something like this:
Leap of Faith
The start of a project always feels like stepping into the abyss. When someone comes to me for a custom portrait I never know what shape their portrait is going to take. I have to step into the unknown and trust that as I gather the information the ideas will begin to take shape. This stage is always terrifying, what if the ideas don’t come?
Incubation and illumination:
This ideation phase is exciting, nerve-racking, and consistently one of my favorite parts of the process. This stage can swing from highly productive to inactive and back again. 40 years into my life as a creator (and watching creators) I no longer fear the moments that feel inactive and even welcome them. These periods of incubation are incredibly useful. Our subconscious is a wondrous thing and is always chugging along behind the scenes. Let it do its thing. There is also a lot of research in this phase. I look to nature, fashion history, and a wide range of fine arts for inspiration. The ideas flow in, filter, evolve, and solidify into a plan.
Preparation:
This is when the physical work starts. I prepare sets, wardrobe, and props, and check all my gear for the shoot. Book hair and makeup, scout locations, and prep my assistant.
Flow:
Shoot day arrives and I am focused and in the zone. Extensive preparation means the day has an anticipated flow and goes by like a blur. I have been told I look calm on the outside but I can tell you my adrenaline is pumping.
Uncertainty:
After the high of creation, I always enter a time of uncertainty. Did it work? Did I get the shots? This phase always comes with an unhealthy dose of self-doubt and imposter syndrome. This is the strangest and hardest phase. For some reason knowing this is a predictable part of my process doesn’t allow me to skip this phase.
Satisfaction:
Once I start spending time with the images and dive into post-production I quickly start to feel satisfied and delighted with the images.
Anticipation:
It’s time to present the final images to the client. Watching people receive something I have created for them is an incredibly special moment. The anticipation of this moment never gets easier.
Resilience:
As soon as one project is completed I find myself dreaming of the next one and looking forward to doing it all again!
With any project, there are moments of frustration, uncertainty, excitement, and renewal. Knowing what’s ahead doesn’t stop the highs and lows but does make them shallower and more manageable.
