At Your Service

By Jenn Gidman
Images by Pedro Fernandez

Pedro Fernandez’s Tamron 35-150mm F2-2.8 zoom offers military precision for his portraits of service members, MMA fighters, and more.

In the thriving community of Fayetteville, North Carolina, surrounded by the echoes of military life from the nearby Fort Liberty (the former Fort Bragg), Pedro Fernandez has carved a unique path in the world of portrait photography, shooting everything from military portraits to MMA fighters grappling on the mat. A seasoned Army veteran himself, Pedro uses his Tamron 35-150mm F/2-2.8 DI III VXD zoom lens on his Sony mirrorless camera system to capture portraits that tell tales of emotion and the vibrant human spirit against the backdrop of everyday life.

“The 35-150mm, which has become my workhorse, offers me the versatility to adapt to the different scenarios I shoot—from still portraits to portraits with fast-paced movement—and to easily transition between wide-angle and telephoto perspectives,” Pedro says. “I’m able to do all this while maintaining a fast F2-F2.8 aperture, which is invaluable in more challenging lighting situations, and when I want to add separation between my subjects and the background.”

One aspect of this type of photography that’s most rewarding for Pedro is the bond he forms with his subjects, which translates to his photos. “I really like working with people, and I hope that connection shines through in each and every portrait,” he says.

PEDRO FERNANDEZ’S QUICK TIPS

Appeal to your subjects’ musical tastes.
I did a bit of recruiting in the Army, so I try to be as friendly as possible so people can get comfortable. The first thing I do after I introduce myself is pull out my Bluetooth-enabled speaker, ask my subject who their favorite performing artist is, and then start the tunes flowing. You’d be amazed how that simple gesture helps the conversation start to flow and loosens folks up.

Plan how to integrate your backgrounds.
I look for backgrounds that make my subjects pop or that weave into the narrative. For instance, in the photo of the gentleman with the red pants, I’d scouted out setting options in downtown Fayetteville. I knew what colors he’d be wearing, as we’d coordinated ahead of time, so I found this rooftop that would go with the gritty vibe and also allow my subject to stand out from the cream-colored concrete. I also loved that built-in leading line drawing the viewer’s eye up from the bottom of the picture to where my subject was sitting.

35-150mm (119mm), F5.6, 1/1000 sec., ISO 250

On the flip side, sometimes I want the background to play more of a role. In the photo of the soldier, it was a deliberate decision to make that squadron sign and American flag stand out in the image. The soldier still remains the focal point, but including those elements reinforces a sense of military pride and patriotism, allowing me to tell a more in-depth story.

35-150mm (105mm), F6.3, 1/500 sec., ISO 250

Seek out posing inspirations.
Guiding subjects through the intricacies of hand placement and body positioning can be a challenging aspect of portrait photography. I like to blend being prepared with being spontaneous when it comes to posing. What I’ll often do before a shoot is head to Pinterest and type in “outdoor female photo shoot” to gather a bunch of reference images for ideas. I don’t copy those poses, but I do use them as a springboard for what I could include in my own work.

Sometimes my plans end up taking a back seat to what my models have in mind. In the photo here of the woman in the sunglasses, she was just doing her own thing, and I went with whatever she was doing. I told her, “You’re making it too easy for me!”

35-150mm (57mm), F2.2, 1/2500 sec., ISO 160

Be on the lookout for interesting lighting.
The use of natural light is a key element in my storytelling and helps me create striking portraits with minimal post-processing. Whether I’m shooting indoors or outdoors, I typically check my white balance, adjust my other settings to work with the environment, and then am good to go. This helps bring authenticity to my portraits.

35-150mm (38mm), F6.3, 1/800 sec., ISO 500

Sometimes, however, a situation presents itself that allows me to do something a bit more dramatic. I had the last-minute opportunity to photograph a major mixed-martial-arts (MMA) grappling tournament in Houston, with some fantastic grapplers from all over the world. When I walked into the venue, I noticed that spotlight in the arena and knew that I wanted to position myself so the fighters would appear right underneath the spotlight, as if they were grappling under the moon.

35-150mm (46mm), F2.8, 1/1000 sec., ISO 5000

Later, in post-processing, I made the entire background darker so you can’t see the pipes and other distractions in the background, then lightened and texturized the grapplers. I also added some haze around the spotlight itself. Always look for potential in the lighting setups that present themselves to you.

To see more of Pedro Fernandez’s portrait photography work, check out his Instagram.

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