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Churchgoers, Cowboys, and Kittens
Rick Gerrity captures candid portraits of diverse Americans with his Tamron 35-150mm F2-2.8 all-in-one zoom.
Author: Jenn Gidman
Images: Rick Gerrity
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Rick Gerrity captures candid portraits of diverse Americans with his Tamron 35-150mm F2-2.8 all-in-one zoom.
Rick Gerrity’s travels across the nation for his “Photographing America” project have offered him a glimpse into the lives of Americans of all stripes, from the Black cowboys of Philadelphia’s Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club, to the congregants of a Pentecostal church in Appalachia, where speaking in tongues and handling rattlesnakes are regular rituals.
“Most important to me is that I form a relationship with the people I photograph,” he says. “I don’t want to be that guy who comes into your space, takes a few pictures, and then disappears forever. I’ve become friends with many of my subjects and even helped them out on occasion. When I found out the church I recently visited had a bad heat pump, I donated the money they needed for a new one. It was the least I could do after they allowed me into their world.”
It’s important to remain a fly on the wall for this type of photography. “It’s respectful and allows you to capture the most authentic, candid portraits,” Rick says. “Having a versatile, fast zoom lens that can capture intimate moments without encroaching on your subjects’ sacred space is key for this.”
That lens for Rick is the Tamron 35-150mm F2-2.8 DI III VXD all-in-one zoom for his Sony mirrorless camera system. “That range allows me to go wide to capture more of the environment, then zoom in when I’m trying to be unobtrusive or keep a safe distance from, say, venomous snakes,” he says. “The low apertures are crucial for when I’m shooting in dimly lit churches and stables, which often feature just window light or old-school fluorescent lighting. With this lens, I can shoot wide open with a high ISO, nicely blur the background to isolate my subjects, and get the shot.”
Rick especially appreciates the 35-150mm F2-2.8’s attention to detail. “I made 20×24 prints of the pastor with the snakes and had them matted and framed,” he said. “It’s ridiculous how those photos came out—you can see the snake’s eyes and its tongue flicking out of its mouth, all tack-sharp.”
RICK’S QUICK TIPS
Be persistent on lighting.
My wife always says she doesn’t know how I pull it off. Some of the places I’ve shot in are challenging, but work with what you’re given and look extra hard for lighting that will enhance your photo, whether it’s a beam of sunlight streaming in a window or a single lightbulb. Observe how people move within the space and how the light hits them in different parts of that space.
In the photo of Chris the pastor holding the Bible, taken in a church in southern West Virginia, I wasn’t going to use flash in a church that had rattlesnakes. I carefully tracked Chris as he moved, and when he ended up underneath a fluorescent light source, I grabbed the shot. It looked like a spotlight shining on him.
Seek out vulnerability.
The best portraits are those showing feeling or genuine human connection. You can see that in my photo here of the pastor’s mother comforting one of the young congregants, and in the picture of the two young girls curled up with their father. They were having a big revival on the day I visited, and I’m not sure if they were a little scared or overwhelmed or simply tired, but those girls were hanging all over their dad. Capturing moments like that makes my day, and it connects with my viewers on a more emotional level.
Always be ready for picture-perfect moments.
You never know when one of your subjects will step into place and offer you a compelling photo opp. When I was photographing Chris as he handled a rattlesnake, he stepped right in front of a wall with the message “Expect a Miracle” written on it. Chris was about 4 feet away from the wall, positioned so that you could still read the message, even though he was blocking part of it. I shot it at F2.8 and blurred out the background just enough so you could still read the words, but so they didn’t distract from what was going on in the scene.
Focus on the everyday.
It can create a sense of place without overshadowing your subject, especially if you take advantage of the 35-150mm F2-2.8’s lower apertures to create just enough bokeh so you can still see some of the background. The boy you see here is a neighborhood kid who loves to care for the cowboys’ horses and tend to the rabbits, pigs, and whatever other animals are around. He was walking around cuddling with this kitten, so I gave him the hat I happened to be wearing that day and took his portrait in the tack room where they keep all the saddles and other equipment. The light was perfect.
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