For photographers trying macro floral work like this for the first time, my biggest piece of advice is to pay close attention to the lighting. Indoors, you can control every variable, which is great for this type of work. Outdoors, however, lighting becomes trickier, so bringing an extra light source for fill or a reflector can make a big difference.

Portrait Power

When I’m shooting portraits, I try not to chase trends or overstyle my images. I prefer a naturalistic approach, and to highlight the environment I’m shooting in to tell a fuller story. That’s one reason the Tamron 90mm F2.8 works so well for my portraits—it offers me sharpness with minimal distortion, as well as allows me to include just enough of the background to give context. The focal length also feels very comfortable for me, as I usually shoot with an 85mm prime for portraits. Switching to the 90mm felt effortless here but still gave me a fresh perspective.

For this particular shoot, I photographed my brother, who’s a cellist, near the Los Angeles River at sunset. Around golden hour, the light reflects off the concrete in a really warm way. I thought it would make a perfect setting for a relaxed, natural portrait.

Because my brother is pretty comfortable in front of a camera, the session flowed easily, but when I work with people who aren’t used to being photographed, I make it a point to talk to them as I shoot and encourage them to move their bodies a bit to loosen up. One tip I always share is to focus on posture. When people are self-conscious, they tend to slouch or pull their shoulders in. I’ll have them lift their chest slightly and raise their chin just a bit. That simple adjustment makes a huge difference in how confident and open someone looks on camera.