Meet danielhollister, a portrait and fashion photographer based in Denmark, who constantly tries to capture the individual beauty of his models. We asked Daniel to share with us a couple of tips and his insights into his photography. Enjoy!
What are you trying to capture/say with your photography?
I really want to capture the individual beauty of the persons I have in front of my camera, as cliche as that might sound.
With just one light or with natural light, is what I find most pleasing, so I try to show how simple it is to capture the beauty of the person with simple setups. Most of the shoots I improvise, it's let's start this, and see where this goes, and what we get from it.
How do you know if your images are visually interesting?
When I have caught a beautiful expression, framed the subject perfectly, gotten an awesome pose from the model, and the light is spot on, then I know my photos are visually interesting. Besides having a beautiful model in front of the camera as well, of course.
Do you think about perspective when you shoot?
I think a proper perspective is important, as you can have a beautiful model, and a great scene, but you can ruin the shot with a poor perspective.
All woman wants to look beautiful, so you have to find the best perspective. You can make people look tall, or slim them down, with the proper perspective, and I think about that all the time, and of course depending on the person I have in front of my, and what we are trying to show with the photo. If it's a fashion shoot, I would most likely be down on my knees or on the floor, to get the model to look tall, and show long legs.
Do you use tripod or flash?
I actually never use a tripod, as I think it limits me when I am shooting. However, I almost always use a strobe when I am in the studio.
Sometimes I try to use natural light in the studio as well, but as the days are getting shorter, I have less time to actually do that, and often go back to strobes in the winter.
What time of the day do you prefer to shoot?
I have a full-time job on the side, so this is mostly a hobby for me, that means I have to shoot in the evenings or during the weekends, which limits me a bit. But with that said, I love to shoot at all times of the day, and even though there is a harsh sun outside, in the middle of the day, I make it my business to get to work for me, either by placing the subject in shade or using a diffuser.
Are you looking for a unique subject?
I am always looking for unique subjects, a unique person, a unique face, I actively search for people on Facebook, Instagram just to name a few. I'm not afraid to contact people I find really interesting, and that could be a potential subject for my portfolio.
It is sometimes hard to put in words, what I am looking for, but if I find myself going back and looking at photos of the person again and again, then I know there is something there, that I really want to capture.
How are you choosing to stay close or far from the subject?
If I think the location, I am shooting in, adds to the photo, and helps to bring out my subject, then I will step away, and try to capture as much as I can, while keeping in mind, that it all has to make sense in the end.
On most shoots, I will always try both stepping back, and get more of the subject and get in close, this way I can try it all out, and see what actually makes sense in the final image. In the end, I really like to get in close, as I want to get details on the subjects expressions, get the depth of their eyes, and it feels a lot more personal.
Do you think of the rule of thirds/how?
Yes, i really think a lot on how I place my subject in the photo, but I also break that rule from time to time, it all depends on what we are trying to show. The rule of thirds is not the only rule I try to follow, as there are others, that can be used with great success. I always try to get it totally right in the camera but leave a little space around the models, so I can crop the photo later, making the photo great, with the rule of thirds, or another composition rule, like leading lines, or balancing elements.
Do you think of symmetry or reflections?
I really don't think a lot about symmetry in my photos, what is mostly in my head is the color balance, and how they weigh in a photo.
Do you pay attention to the subject only or also background and why?
I try to pay close attention to my background, as the background can break or make the photo. There is nothing worse then a tree growing out of your models head (unless of course, that's what you're going for hehe) I'm trying to find interesting backgrounds for what we are trying to achieve or show with the photo.
What do you prefer; B&W vs color?
It mostly depends on what I am going for, like if I want a lot of contrast, I would most likely have in mind, that I want the photo to be black and white, but in the end, I love photos with color.
What mistake do you see photographers doing often?
Most often I see the post processing either being overdone or not done at all, that is really what I see most these days.
In general, I do see a lot of badly composed shots as well, and poorly cropped photos.
What is your most important lesson you’ve learned that has improved your photography?
The most important lesson I have ever learned is actually two different things.
1. Get it right in camera. Get the light right, the pose, the crop, the composition, and then you will have less work to do retouching the photo after that.
2. Don't overdo the retouching. It is so very very easy to overdo the retouching, and as a new photographer, I did this as well, and learned fast, that I needed to step it down. This took my photos up a notch.
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