Tuesday morning I was out early to meet up with someone that can only be described as a Legend when it comes to Lyme Regis ... Harry May.
Just as with the Scallop Divers, for one reason or another, including Harry having knee replacement surgery, it had taken almost 2 years to get him in front of my camera, but it was so worth the wait.
What a super nice guy!
Honestly ... despite it being the first time we'd met and spoken in person, it felt like I'd known him for years. In fact, when Harry arrived, it was easily a good 20 minutes if not more that we chatted, before I started taking photographs. Sorry for keeping you waiting, Steve 😃
Keeping It Simple, Keeping It Classic
The brief for this one, set by me, for me, was simple: keep it classic.
It was a glorious sunny morning with just enough cloud cover to give beautifully soft natural light. To match that softness, I used my 4x3ft Westcott Softbox, positioned about one and a half arm's lengths from Harry.
I shot at f/4.0 to soften the background slightly. Rather than using High Speed Sync (HSS) to let me shoot at a wide aperture in bright light, I opted for a 4-stop Neutral Density filter instead. The light was consistent and I'd had everything dialled in well before Harry arrived, so there was no rush and no need for the extra flexibility HSS gives you; it's simply a different way of solving the same problem: too much ambient light for the aperture you want.
• Did you see my High Speed Sync versus Neutral Density Filters Infographic ? ( LINK )
My Westcott FJ800 strobe handled it perfectly, run in TTL with +1 stop of compensation added.
Natural Direction
If you've ever been to Lyme Regis, there's a good chance you've spotted Harry leaning on the railing further down by his Fishing Trips board. So, having him lean the same way where we were shooting felt completely natural to him. Direction was barely needed, just "lean yourself on there and get comfy."
That's really the whole trick with portraits like this: find the pose someone already does in real life, and let them do it.
The Stunt Double
Before Harry arrived, my mate Steve Healy stepped in as stunt double, so I could get the lighting and exposure dialled in properly. That meant when Harry turned up, we were ready to go straight away rather than running test shots on the actual subject.
Three Shoots, Five Days
I'm on a high right now. This was my third shoot for my "I am Lyme" project in the last five days, and the best part is word is starting to spread. More people are hearing about the project and wanting to be part of it.
About "I am Lyme"
"I am Lyme" is a community-focused portrait series centred on the coastal town of Lyme Regis. The idea is simple: capture and celebrate the local faces that give the town its character, from fishermen and restaurateurs to B&B hosts, cafe owners and more…