I was instantly intrigued and relieved when I saw the brief for this project from my dear friends at SWIRE properties. They didn’t want the normal mix of interiors and exteriors. Instead of a shot list, we had a mood, a “vibe” as the kids say these days. The shots were needed to fill out their upcoming newly designed website, so the focus was on textures, contrast, the juxtaposition of design elements, and an overall emotional reaction from viewers rather than the standard series of hero shots most clients ask for.
The shoot called for a different mindset.
It needed a more journalistic approach appropriate for street photography, one that required less thinking and more reacting, shooting from the hip and chasing the light. These are the skills that I constantly put into practice while engaging in my favorite thing in life: walking through new cities. Suffice it to say I was not going to be setting up flashes in the middle of a shopping mall or along Brickell ave, nor did I have the luxury of shuffling cars and people around at a whim. I had to make do with the variables provided by the urban landscape. It’s a pleasant change of pace because it permits me to forget about technical skills and focus more on observing and reacting to life as it happens. It’s in these moments that I remember how fun photography can be. And I was getting paid for it this time!
