capturing the contrast

Aren't people fascinating? I've always thought so. When I write stories or novels or research papers, my favorite part is meeting and developing the characters. Who are they? How do they think, act, and react? And why?

Since I love people, I love to take portraits. Personality shines through photography, so it's imperative to get to know your subject, or you could end up with your photos telling you that the person doesn't quite fit the scene.

That doesn't mean portraits can't have contrast.

For example, I had the fabulous opportunity to take portraits of my best friend, Amanda, this past weekend. We started with the casual look:

Then we moved on to the formal:

And, finally, we combined the two using my dad's 1965 and 1966 Ford pickups. . . .

You wouldn't think such stark opposites would really complement each other--the tired old pickups and Amanda's colorful personality. But since I know Amanda well enough to arrange it fittingly, it works. Her adventurous and spontaneous qualities shine through the photos. That's what makes portraits so interesting! :)