birthday portraits with jason embra
I genuinely try to make every photo I take mean something. Whether it’s special to me, my client, or both, I want each delivered image to make an impact. But, no matter what, there are always sessions that stick with you more than others. Jason’s studio session was one of those.
He originally approached me with the idea to take some updated portraits for his birthday coming up. Never the one to do anything halfway, I suggested a full studio session with multiple outfits. He was totally on board.
I knew Artist Uprising’s studio offered variety in both color, texture, and design so it seemed like the perfect place for this type of portrait.
Our first setup was seated with two lights: a key on his face and a fill to create some separation on the corner structure behind him. The outfit was casual but sharp, so I wanted these to have a more relaxed and laid back feel. We talked birthdays, style, traveling, and I watched as he got comfortable on camera. Jason is truly someone that knows how to turn out a look on camera and the sharp edge of his side profile combined with the corner that filled the background made for some stellar frames to kick this session off.
After a quick outfit change and a shuffling of lights, we made our way to our second setup. A chic blacked out half kilt meant full-body shots with some dramatic flare from my lights. Looking back, I love the idea behind this session so much: portraits solely for the sake of celebrating yourself and your life. As a photographer, it’s fun to work with someone who is there solely for the fun of it like that.
Thankfully, Jason is a trusting client and let me have fairly free rein over the direction these went. Both previous setups were a little darker and heavier, so I wanted the last to match the sleek and stylish feel of his final outfit. One splash of orange from the studio’s furniture and rolling wall later and we had our last setup.
I love portraits for so many reasons, but none more so than the fact that you get to show someone’s best side and make them feel fantastic on camera. Although, sometimes you get lucky and have someone like Jason make that task a breeze for you.
