Portrait photography has a very special appeal for me. Every person is special. Some people find it easy to behave naturally in front of the camera. Others find it difficult to be relaxed. In this case, you usually achieve better results with natural light. A flash system would be too much technology and would only get in the way.
As a photographer you can do a lot to create a relaxed atmosphere. It is very important that all the technology becomes an inconspicuous, self-evident secondary matter. Almost everyone tenses up when the photographer's camera and settings are more important than the dialogue with the model, so it's important that things like the background and lighting are largely set up in advance for studio shots.
I do almost all of my portraits in black and white. I find it particularly advantageous to abstract from colour in portraits. The individuality of a person is particularly emphasised in black and white. The absence of colour leaves room for interpretation and enhances the emotional depth, and I take many of my portraits with my flash system. I love playing with light and shadow to create contrasts that impressively emphasise a person's character. I prefer to use a reflector to brighten the shadows rather than another flash, as I find it more natural when there is only a highlight in the eyes. I like to start with lighting variations that allow the model to move freely. As the session progresses, you can then try out other lighting variations where, for example, even a slight turn of the head would spoil the picture.
During the session, I always endeavour to give the model feedback. I find it very important to look through the unedited images together on the computer in between and then decide together how to proceed.
