The Natural…

I love to photograph people when I travel.  As my photography skills have improved over the years I have went from strictly using available light for portraits to using speedlights and larger battery powered flash units.  I love having control over the light that falls onto my subject. Perhaps even more, I love having control over my background exposure level.  I often photograph subjects off the beaten path in remote areas where this is the first time they have even seen a soft box or light stand. The challenge is that the friendliest characters that I come across tend to become stiff and rigid, losing that special undefinable quality that drew me to them to begin with, once a light and modifier enter the scene.

On a recent trip to Bucovina, Romania I was able to obtain a permit to photograph the beautiful horses at the Lucina Horse Farm on their wonderful property of rolling hills draped with freshly fallen snow.  I had barely made it in when I was captivated by an older man working at the farm who had a grace, ease, and naturalness about him that is incredibly hard to find. I was desperate to capture this with my lens.  I could have pulled out all the gear and toys for optimal control, but experience has taught me that sometimes less is more when it comes to retaining that magical moment given to me.

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