Texas-based portrait photographer Joe Baker didn’t start his career behind a camera—he began with a pencil. As a kid, he drew detailed portraits in advanced art classes, learning early on how to study faces, lines, and light. Photography entered the picture later, when he picked up a camera and started experimenting with capturing people the way he used to draw them. “I’ve always enjoyed working with people,” he says. “Meeting them, connecting with them, finding the best way to show who they are—that part comes naturally to me.”

Today, Joe is known for a photographic style that’s been described as bold, dramatic, and clean. “The biggest thing in my photos is how I light them,” he says. “I’m looking for that great lighting, I’m seeking out those blue skies, and I’m not afraid to close down my aperture to achieve the look I’m going for.”

Key in Joe’s lens lineup for his portrait work is the Tamron 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD ultra-wide-angle zoom lens. “I love the wide-angle aesthetic and its flexibility to offer me either a fashion-type of look or a more environmental portrait,” he says. “The 17-28mm lens is super sharp, and the F2.8 maximum aperture is perfect to ensure I’m able to let enough light in.”

JOE’S QUICK PORTRAIT TIPS

Connect before you even lift the camera.

Helping subjects relax can be one of the biggest hurdles in portrait photography. That’s why I sit and talk with the people I’m going to photograph before our session. I’ll say, “Tell me something about you that I can’t find on Instagram.” I also let them get to know me, and if it turns out we have a common bond over something, even better.

Break from the pack.

Many photographers don’t think that ultra-wide-angle lenses like the 17-28mm F2.8 are suitable for portraits, but I disagree. For the picture of the model in the red boots in front of that dilapidated old truck—that was taken at a popular spot near me where people often go for pictures. However, I noticed that other photographers were mainly taking pictures of their subjects inside the truck. I said, “You know what? I’m going to back up, pull out my 17-28mm, and give this photo an entirely new feel, with those amazing red boots leading the eye.”