Behind the Scenes

Our clients love to see a glimpse behind the scenes, a look at just how much work we put in to creating the perfect portrait. Before our clients even walk in the door, William is busy collecting inspiration, staging the portrait in his mind, and making sure we have all of the necessary elements available to properly set up a shot. With the wide variety of options we offer, this can be an extensive process! Ten minutes before a client's studio session, you can often find us moving furniture and drapery about the studio so that everything looks perfect by the time our subject arrives! Sometimes I even get to walk on stage for a moment to hold the all-important color table, which helps us balance the color when we go to process the portraits from each session.

But the more important work begins when the subject arrives. In a recent article we found on Valley News, Hannah Williams describes the portrait as "one person's attempt to capture another person completely...When looking at a portrait... we often feel a sense of... connection, because what we're experiencing is someone else's engagment with that person. We're looking at a trace of their interaction, at how one person sees another." It's a beautiful thought, and so very true.

One of the things that makes William's work so unique, is that he makes the effort to get to know the subject he photographs from the very beginning. This helps a great deal when it comes to posing a subject. This camaraderie between subject and artist helps the subject feel more comfortable, thereby acheiving a more natural look on camera. Here, you can see him posing several of our subjects from the past few months, giving you a rough idea of what goes on behind the scenes of our finished portraits. From drastic costume changes, to the slightest change in the eye of a subject, or a minute tilt of the head, William's portraiture emerges from the details and is meticulously built from the ground up. Take a look at these "before and after" shots and let us know what you think!